Our Own Time
by goshinote
Summary: After a three year separation, Kagome returns to the Feudal Era and is looking forward to beginning a new life with Inuyasha and their friends. Things are blissful for a while, but what will happen when they get an unexpected visitor?...Complete!
1. Return

Author's Note:

Hi, again! After the positive feedback I received from my Anniversary one-shot, I decided to post the big fic that I've been working on for the last 2.5 years. I've been nervous to post it and I've only ever shared it with one lovely person. You know who you are! :) Anyway, I want to share this big piece my heart, and I hope you all enjoy it. I'll try to upload as much as I can. We'll see how much free-time I can find in my busy college schedule. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own the Inuyasha story/characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi!

Chapter 1:

 _Breathe in, breathe out._ My little mantra had been zooming through my brain all day. Well, more like every day for the last three years. Ever since the Bone Eater's Well had stopped working, I felt like there was this huge piece of me missing. I knew what it was: I hadn't seen him in so long.

 _Inuyasha._

Not a second goes by without his name running around in my mind. My arms ache to hold him close again, and my heart beats to the memory of his voice. Three years is too long to go without him, and every moment feels longer than the last.

The well draws me in as I approach it. I come here every day and think about what happened. The well hasn't worked, but I still come. It's my last connection to the Feudal Era and to Inuyasha.

As I walked in and stood in front of it, my thoughts began to race through my head. I've always thought that maybe the reason the well stopped working when the Shikon Jewel disappeared was because of the feelings I had when I finally returned from those three days in the darkness. My family had suffered and I'd felt terrible.

But I think I've realized where I need to be and it's not in this time period.

"Inuyasha," I murmured. "I want to be with you." I closed my eyes, wishing for one more chance to see him.

The cool breeze on my face took me by surprise.

My eyes shot open, and I looked down at the blue sky on the other side of the well.

"Kagome?" My mother walked into the shrine and came up behind me. "Are you okay?"

"Mom…" I began. She peered down into the well and saw the same sight. Her arms wrapped around me and she held me close. I turned to look into her eyes. Mom smiled sadly. "I understand, Kagome," she said. "You belong with him." I smiled bitter-sweetly back at her.

I ran inside and quickly threw some supplies into my old middle school backpack. Sota and Grandpa wished me luck when we exchanged our goodbyes. "Bye, nee-chan," Sota said. "Say hello to Inu-no-nii-chan for me." I promised I would, and with that, I left.

As if on autopilot, I ran back to the well and jumped into it as my excitement turned to memories. I remembered Inuyasha kissing me when he found me in the Meido; I had waited so long for that kiss. I remembered him holding me close as the Shikon Jewel disappeared. The smell of him disappeared from my clothes too soon after the connection was broken. Moments of fighting, laughing, and _osuwari_ commands filled my heart with a newfound love for him. Any sort of worry eluded me because I knew nothing could come between us.

My feet planted on the stable ground at the bottom of the well and I breathed in the smell of the rich, musty soil. I smiled as the peaceful noises of the clearing that the well was located in filled my ears. I'm finally back. My heart started to race as I realized that I was about to see Inuyasha for the first time in three years.

I quickly climbed up the side of the well and hopped over the edge. In my excitement, my shoe flew off my foot and landed a few feet away. I rolled my eyes at myself and hurried to pick it up. As I leaned over to put the shoe back on, I heard footsteps behind me. A smile immediately filled my face. I could guess who it was.

The footsteps grew louder and then stopped. When I finally got my shoe back on, I looked up to see Inuyasha. He was only a mere ten feet away from me. His face looked intense; his eyes were suspicious as if he thought I was just a hallucination.

"Inuyasha," I said in a voice full of emotion. "I'm sorry. Were you waiting for me?" Inuyasha was quiet for a moment more and then he moved. He threw himself forward with his eyes never leaving mine. I heard a whisper of my name as he said it, and then he collided with me.

His arms wrapped tightly around my waist as he pulled me to him. I put my arms around his neck and buried my face in his haori. He held me so close that my feet came off the ground and I was completely supported by him. Everything felt like it was coming into place as I breathed in the familiar smell of him.

"I never stopped waiting for you," he murmured in my ear.

We stayed in each other's arms for a long time. When Inuyasha finally set me down, he kept me pulled close.

"Kagome," he said, his eyes locked on me. I felt his hands roam through my hair and his fingers trail across my face. His touch conveyed how much he'd missed me and how happy he was to have me back.

He looked so relieved and unbelievably amazed that, for a moment, all I could do was nod. "I'm here," I finally said. "I'm back." Inuyasha's hands finally settled on my cheeks as he smiled at me for the first time in three years.

"How?" he asked incredulously. "I mean, what did you...why did the well…" He suddenly stopped and shook his head. "I'm just in shock right now." Inuyasha's relief was evident, but he still seemed guarded as if this was only a dream. I laughed and slid my hands from his neck to his waist.

"I missed you so much," he said, growing serious. "I didn't know it was possible to miss  
someone like that." I sighed. "Me, too," I replied. Inuyasha's thumbs stroked my cheeks. "Kagome..." I felt my smile fade as I heard his sudden somber tone.

Pain began to fill his eyes as he looked at me. "Don't leave," Inuyasha said. My eyes widened. "Please, Kagome," he continued. "Stay with me forever." I leaned up and gently brushed my lips against his cheek. "Forever, Inuyasha," I promised. "I'm not going anywhere."

Inuyasha's panicked eyes began to calm. Instead of fear, there was a different gleam in them. They told me exactly what he wanted to do. He leaned his head down so our foreheads were touching. As we closed our eyes and our lips almost touched, I heard a shout from behind us.

"Kagome!" I knew it was Shippo from the evident excitement in his voice. Inuyasha and I both jumped at the sudden noise. He quickly snuck a kiss on the top of my head before we pulled away from each other.

When I turned to see Shippo, I noticed Miroku, Sango, and three small children were with him, too. I could tell from the familiar features that the children were Miroku and Sango's. I smiled widely and waved to them. "Hi!" I called. "It's good to see you guys!"

As they made their way over to us, I turned to look at Inuyasha. His eyes still held an intense gleam, but I could see the peace in them. His hand found mine and our fingers laced together. We smiled at each other and began walking towards Miroku, Sango, and Shippo.

Once we reached the others, we all started talking a mile a minute. Inuyasha stayed quiet, though, with a content look on his face. His hold on my hand was tight, and I knew it would be a long time before either of us let go.

We all made our way to Kaede's house after we'd talked for a little while at the well. I noticed Rin was there and she greeted me. Inuyasha had told me as we were walking that Rin was practicing living with humans so she could choose if she wanted to choose a life in the village or go back to traveling with Sesshomaru. We all had a pretty good guess about what her answer would be.

Once everyone sat down and got settled, Miroku and Sango introduced me to their kids. The twins, Kohana and Hikari, were the most hyper girls I've ever met. The boy, Akio, was the opposite. He was the quietest newborn I'd ever encountered. As Sango passed him to me, Rin spoke up. "I helped deliver him," she said. I smiled at her. "You did a great job," I replied. "He's perfect." I glanced at Sango and we shared a private smile. As I held Akio, he looked up at me and gripped my finger.

"Sango-chan," I said. "I love your kids." Sango laughed. "They seem to like you, too," she replied. Miroku smiled evilly. "And they love their dog," he said, nodding at Inuyasha. I looked beside me at the now very irritated "dog." Inuyasha caught my gaze and his expression softened. "No, they just like to yank on my ears," he said. I smiled at Inuyasha as our eyes locked for a moment. The moment was broken when the word "ears" registered with the girls. As soon as it did, Kohana and Hikari ran over and tackled Inuyasha.

"Dang it, Miroku!" he yelled as the twins giggled and pulled his ears. I smiled and wished that I hadn't missed so much time with everyone. Sango looked at me and noticed my expression. She took my hand. "I'm glad you're back, Kagome-chan." I turned to her and smiled again. "So am I," I replied.

"I am surprised that ye were able to return, Kagome," Kaede said. I looked over at her. "I am, too," I replied honestly. Shippo tugged on my skirt. "What did you do to get back?" he asked. I felt a blush come over me as I remembered what I had been thinking when the well started working again. _Inuyasha, I want to be with you._

I tried to force my blush away with a smile. "I think it was just time," I replied. "I went to the well every day that I was gone, and it hadn't seemed any different when I went today. Despite that, I felt like something had shifted and it looks like that was true." I smiled. Shippo settled himself in my lap. "It was lonely without you here," he said. I hugged him. "It was lonely in my time, too," I replied. "I'm glad to be back."

After about another hour of catching up on what I'd missed, Sango and Miroku said they needed to get back to their house and put the kids to bed. Before they walked out, Sango spoke up.

"Kagome-chan," she said. "How long will you be staying with us?" I smiled at her. "I'm here to stay," I replied. "I'm going to live here now." Sango smiled brightly back and everyone let out a collective cheer. Inuyasha took my hand again and I turned to look into his eyes. An understanding passed between us.

We would always be together.

When they were gone, Shippo began to yawn. He quickly fell asleep on my lap while Kaede filled me in on what had been happening with the other villagers.

As we were talking, I tried to stay focused on what Kaede was saying but it was pretty hard when Inuyasha was tracing small circles on my hand with his thumb. His touch was tender; that wasn't something I was used to from him. I was very aware of how close we had moved toward each other throughout the evening. It was almost as if were gravitating toward the other without even realizing it. I couldn't say I didn't like it.

Eventually, I lay Shippo on his futon and stood up. Inuyasha rose next to me and caught my eye. His hand brushed mine and I knew exactly what he was thinking.

"We're going for a walk," I told Kaede. "Good night."

With that, Inuyasha and I went out the door and headed to our spot.

To be continued...

I hope you all have enjoyed it so far! Please let me know if you like it...I'm really excited to share the rest! :)


	2. Under Goshinboku

Hello, my loves. :) Before you begin reading, I'm going to clarify a few things about this fic.

First, this is an alternating POV story. The first chapter was Kagome's POV, obviously, and now this chapter is Inuyasha's.

Second, this fic is going to be super long, so I hope you'll be in for the long haul. :) Posting each chapter one-by-one is the best excuse for me to the big edit to this fic, and it's also helped me figure out the errors and moments that didn't quite work. I hope it's all to your liking!

Finally, I want to mention that the chapters will get longer from now on. I realize these first two chapters are pretty short, but don't let that fool you for future ones!

Okay, I'll stop talking now and let you read. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 2: Under Goshinboku

I thought I was dreaming when I found Kagome in the meadow near the well. That stupid well had brought us together, kept us apart, and then finally brought us back together. Honestly, I didn't really freakin' care anymore. As long as Kagome was back here, I was content.

When she came out of the well, it was like a giant weight had been lifted. She'd pulled a Kagome move and lost a shoe but as soon as she got it back on, all I could do was hold her. As soon as I felt her touch, I relished in how desperately beautiful she had become and how much I'd missed her. Once we'd pulled away from each other, I leaned in to kiss her without really thinking about it. I mean, hey, I couldn't help it. I'd been dreaming about her for the last three years, and now that we were finally together again, that kiss in the Meido was flooding my head.

The moment ended when Miroku, Sango, and Shippo came over so I didn't get a chance. I kicked myself for it as we walked back to Kaede's house. My cheeks stayed hot but I kept a tight grasp on Kagome's hand.

Even though I tried not to, I couldn't help but look at Kagome every few minutes. She just looked so different. Her hair hung several inches longer than I remembered, so the locks fell to just above her waist. Her eyes still held the kind gleam I remembered, but they seemed wiser and were curiously taking in all of the changes she was encountering. She'd somehow become even more beautiful in the last three years, and it baffled me that that had even been possible for her to do. She held herself in a more confident and adult way. Kagome had grown herself up. As I studied her, a question radiated through my mind.

 _In our time apart, had I been on her mind as much as she'd been on mine?_

I was lost in thought until something Kagome said struck me. "…I went to the well every day I was gone, and it hadn't seemed any different when I went this morning," she said. My head snapped up. She went…every day?

Her words ran through my mind and it pretty much stayed like that the rest of the time we were there. We were sitting next to each other but it was driving me crazy to not be as close to her as possible. I'd had to let go of her hand when we sat down so she could hold the baby. Right after she gave him back to Sango, Shippo jumped on her lap so I just kept my hands in the sleeves of my kimono.

I did, however, catch Kagome looking at me with a small smile on her face a few times, and it put any uneasiness to rest. Her face still held such kindness; her eyes were still deep and full of life. It didn't matter where I looked. I saw Kagome everywhere.

Kagome announced that she would be staying permanently before Miroku and Sango left, and that was when I finally took her hand. She looked at me and I knew that she was confirming her promise.

When Miroku and Sango had left with their children and Shippo was asleep, Kagome rose. I stood, too, and with one look, we were on our way to Goshinboku.

I took her hand as soon as we were outside of Kaede's house and Kagome held on tightly. A thousand questions were running through me, but I kept them locked up until we reached the tree.

Kagome let go of my hand and walked up to Goshinboku. I watched as she reached up to touch the scar that my fifty-year slumber had left on the trunk. Her face brightened into a smile.

"You know," she said, "I used to go to the tree on my side every day. It was sort of like a routine I had. First, I'd check the well, and then I'd come to the tree. There were some nights that I would just sit against it waiting for something to happen." Her smile faded a little. "Nothing ever did, though."

Kagome's face was illuminated in the moonlight, and I once again found myself enthralled by her. "Kagome…" I began hesitantly. "What is it?" she asked. Words escaped me as I looked at her and took in every inch of the girl I'd loved for so long.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome said as concern began to fill her voice. Her hand fell from the tree as I finally reached out for her. My arms went around her waist and I pulled her close like I had when I first saw her at the well.

But this time I didn't hold back.

My lips collided with hers in a very overdue kiss. I felt Kagome freeze in surprise, but she quickly melted beneath my touch. She lifted her arms and put them around my neck as her hold on me tightened, and I could feel that neither of us could get enough of the other. I slowly ran my hands up her back and into her hair as I deepened the kiss. The long, soft waves of her jet-black locks tickled my fingertips as I pulled her closer.

After a few moments, I felt Kagome laughing quietly against my mouth. I pulled away breathlessly and looked at her. "What's so funny?" I asked in a spacey voice I didn't recognize. Kagome shook her head. "You just surprised me," she replied.

I immediately loosened my grip on her waist so she could pull away if she wanted to. "I'm sorry," I said. "I just…" Kagome stopped my words by kissing me again. I immediately kissed her back, but I was still worried about what she was thinking. She pulled away first this time, and looked up at me with a shy smile on her face.

"Don't apologize," she said with amusement in her voice. "I've been waiting for you to do that all night." I smiled in relief and pulled her close again. Her head lay on my chest, and I felt her sigh against me.

"I pictured what this moment would be like in my head so many times while I was gone," she said after a quiet moment. I breathed in her scent and felt the pang of sadness that had haunted me for the last three years. "Me, too," I replied. "I thought about what I would do when you returned and that was always the first thing."

Kagome leaned back to look at me. "You said _when_ ," she said. "Not _if_." I smirked. "Well, of course," I replied. "I always knew you wouldn't be able to live without me for too long." Kagome laughed.

"I'm glad to hear you say that," she replied. "But I'll admit that it was hard for me to believe I would ever see you again. I had to constantly remind myself that somehow we would be together." Her words stirred up the pain I knew we'd both been feeling for the last three years.

"We were born for each other, Kagome," I said as I remembered my words from those three days in the Meido. Kagome sniffled a little and I saw a tear trickle down her cheek.

"That's why I could believe it," I continued. "We were meant to be together. I believed that you would come back. I believed that you'd come through the well again and that you'd sit with us in Kaede's house." Tears rained from Kagome's eyes as her mouth turned up in a smile.

"But most of all," I concluded, "I believed that you and I…" My words trailed off as Kagome leaned her head up.

Our lips met in another earth-shattering kiss. This girl, this amazing girl, was finally here. She was finally with me. No matter what happened, that was enough.

Once we'd pulled away, Kagome led me to the tree and we sat down against the trunk. For hours, we sat there just talking about the last three years of our lives. Kagome leaned her head against me as she told me about graduating.

"I never thought I'd be able to do it," she admitted. "Not with you always interrupting my studies." I laughed and shook my head.

"You shouldn't have spent so much time on them," I countered. "It's not like they mattered in the end." Kagome picked her head up and looked at me. At first she seemed annoyed, but she began laughing a moment later.

"You're actually right," she replied humorously. "Odds are I'm not going to have to know half of the stuff I learned in my math classes." I shrugged and took her hand. "Well, I guess you should've listened to me," I said. Kagome's laughter started up again.

After she'd stopped laughing, we slipped into a comfortable silence for a few moments until Kagome leaned her head back on me.

"I'm really tired," she said. Her sleepy-sounding voice was muffled by my kimono and I chuckled. I wrapped my arms around her and she curled up against me.

"I'm sorry," Kagome said. I leaned my head on hers. "Why are you apologizing?" I asked quietly. She nuzzled her face deeper into my haori. "I'm about to fall asleep even though I just got here." I laughed. "It's okay, Kagome," I replied. "You can sleep. I'm not going anywhere."

I felt her nod against me and not even a minute later, her breathing evened and I knew she was asleep.

This content feeling that had been awakened inside me was growing just by holding her. I loved her so much. Nothing could take away the happiness I have now that she's back.

But there was an ache, too. I had a secret I was keeping from her, and it was one that was going to hurt.

 _To be continued..._

Hmm...what's Inuyasha's secret? You'll find out in a few chapters! Keep reading. :)

I love hearing from you guys. Reviews are the best encouragement! What's your favorite part so far? Anything seem strange or too OOC? Hope you're enjoying. :)


	3. Back in Action

Thanks for the comments!

One of the comments from Gin (I'm glad you like it so far!) mentioned my use of canon. I haven't specifically stated this yet, but I use canon from both the anime and the manga, but mostly from the manga. In case some readers haven't read the manga, I'll tell you that Kagome and Inuyasha's relationship was a lot closer and romantic than the anime was. The anime cut out a lot of the cute moments in the manga, and I was so sad! Anyway, most of my canon is based on the manga, such as Kagome's blue eyes instead of brown, and some of the other things Inuyasha said in the manga that weren't in the anime. The whole piece on how he regained his lost heart when he met Kagome wasn't mentioned in the anime (which sucks!), but I include it in my writing and it'll come up in one of the later chapters.

Thanks so much to all the readers, followers, and reviewers! You make my heart sing. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 3: Back in Action

I woke up the next morning in Kaede's house. I lifted my head and saw that I was curled up against Inuyasha; his arm was draped over me and I was snuggled in his chest. He must have carried me back last night and fallen asleep next to me. I blushed even though I was the only one awake.

The rest of the village came alive soon after. Shippo left to go play with Kohana and Hikari, and Kaede went out to do her Miko duties. Before she left, she gave me a set of traditional priestess garb. Although I was a little surprised, I took them from her. "What are these for?" I asked. She smiled.

"Ye said that ye will be staying with us," she replied with a glance over at Inuyasha and a wink tossed at me. I smiled and felt my cheeks burn. "Kagome," she continued, "ye are a Miko. It is time ye began dressing like one." I took the clothes from her and ran my hand over the fabric. "Thank you," I said sincerely. "I'll put them on right now."

I ran around to the back of her house to change out of my modern day outfit and put on the garb. Even though I'd only worn this sort of clothing a handful of times before, it felt familiar.

"Thank you again," I chirped to Kaede when I came back inside. Kaede nodded. "They are very becoming on ye," she replied. "Wouldn't ye agree, Inuyasha?" she asked, looking over at him. Inuyasha glanced at me and nodded. I blushed.

I put my old clothes in the backpack I'd grabbed before I'd left home for good. It made me a little sad that I'd never wear anything from my original time again, but it also felt freeing. I was finally where I was meant to be.

Kaede left not long after giving me my garb, so it was just Inuyasha and I in the house. He was sitting across the room from me as I went through the things in my backpack. I pulled out some of the medicines and bandages I'd grabbed and set them aside for Kaede. When I glanced over at Inuyasha, I noticed that he was looking at me.

Then it hit me. A few years back, Kaede gave me a similar set of Miko attire to wear while my clothes were being washed. As soon as Inuyasha had seen me in them, he'd told me to take them off because in priestess garb, I looked a lot like…

"What?" I asked even though I was nervous to hear what he was thinking. Inuyasha shook his head. "Nothing," he replied nonchalantly. Even so, it seemed like there was something hiding beneath his casual tone.

"Inuyasha," I asked. "Does it still bother you when I wear this?" Inuyasha looked confused for a moment, but then realization filled his eyes and I knew he was remembering that day by the river.

"No," he replied. "It's nothing like that. It's just…you look, uh, really nice." I couldn't help but smile in relief at his words. "Thanks," I said. He smiled back at me. "So," he began, "do you have anything planned for today? Anything you need to do?"

After he asked, I realized that I didn't really have a job to do here anymore. There was no one to race with to find all the shards, and my ability to see the Shikon no Tama wasn't needed anymore due to the jewel not even existing anymore. I wasn't really sure what I'd be needed to do. Kaede was the high priestess, so I guess I'd need to learn as much as I could from her in case I wound up having to take over her job in the future. But until then…

"I don't know," I replied honestly. Inuyasha stood up and came to sit next to me. "Well," he said. "I do. Do you want to help me with something?" I looked over at him. "Sure," I replied. He smiled.

"Then let's go," he said. With that, Inuyasha stood up and left the house. "Hey, wait," I called. I couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement as I grabbed my bow and followed him out the door.

I quickly caught up to him as he made his way down the road. "What are we doing?" I asked excitedly. Inuyasha chuckled at my enthusiasm. "Miroku and I were supposed to go on a job this afternoon, but he bailed yesterday," he replied. "He said he wanted to help Sango with some stuff around their house, so are you okay with coming with me?" he asked. I smiled as happiness began to bloom inside of me. "Okay," I replied, figuring that I'd use my spiritual powers to help him.

I looked over at Inuyasha as we walked. He seemed at peace, and I liked seeing him so laid back. Naraku wasn't around to fight anymore and there was no Shikon Jewel to put back together. It was just us.

Inuyasha glanced at me and reached down to take my hand. I smiled at him as his fingers locked with mine. "I'm really glad you're back," he said. I gently squeezed his hand. "Me, too," I replied.

After about an hour of walking, Inuyasha said we were coming up on the village we were supposed to help. It seemed like a quaint area, and it actually didn't look too much different from Kaede's village. As we approached the village, two men appeared and came straight toward us.

"Miko-sama!" the younger of the two cried out. Both of them looked distressed and the younger man grabbed my arm and pulled me away from Inuyasha. "What are you doing?" I cried. Inuyasha instantly unsheathed his sword. "Let go of her," he said menacingly. The older man raised a spear and aimed it at Inuyasha.

"Miko-sama," he said, ignoring Inuyasha. "We will protect you from the yokai." I shook my head and pulled myself out of the younger one's grasp. I stepped away from the men so I was next to Inuyasha. "No," I said with anger evident in my voice. "He's with me. You are not to lay a hand on him."

The men looked taken aback. "You mean this yokai is your companion?" the older man asked. I nodded. "Yes," I replied firmly. "Please leave him be." The men bowed.

"Our deepest apologies," the young one said, sounding sincere. "We are not used to seeing yokai and humans together." Inuyasha eyed them and sheathed his sword. He still didn't look too pleased despite their apology.

I noticed the older man was staring at Inuyasha. "You're a hanyo, aren't you?" he asked. Inuyasha looked surprised. "Um, yeah," he replied. I was shocked that he wasn't going off on the man for calling him a hanyo. Inuyasha never liked hearing that term, especially not from humans.

"Then you are very similar to us," the younger man said. Inuyasha looked taken aback. "I guess," he agreed hesitantly. Inuyasha leaned closer to me and gently brushed his arm against mine. He didn't speak, but I knew that he was surprised at these two me. I could tell that it wasn't a bad surprised. "Alright," he said in an attempt to get back to business. "Where's the yokai we need to get rid of?"

They pointed to a mountain in the distance. "It comes from that mountain every night and steals one of our villagers." I shook my head. "That's terrible," I replied. "We'll do everything we can to help."

"Thank you so much," the younger man said with a bow. "What do we owe you?" Inuyasha waved his hand. "Nothing," he replied. "Don't worry about it." His rare sense of kindness showed through the wall I was so used to him putting up, and I was happy to see him relax.

The men bowed again. "We are indebted to you," he said. Inuyasha's typical "I-have-to-deal-with-people" frown became less intense as he nodded and then began walking toward the mountain. I bowed back at the men and quickly followed.

When we had gotten about halfway to the mountain, I looked at Inuyasha and saw a thoughtful expression on his face. I knew what was on his mind.

"Those men were different," I said. "A good different." Inuyasha nodded. "It's a nice change of pace," he replied. I took his hand.

"Yeah," I said. "And you were surprising, too." Inuyasha looked confused. "How?" he asked. I shrugged. "You didn't freak out when he realized that you're a hanyo," I replied. "That's not something you usually take lightly."

Inuyasha looked at me and smiled. "I think it's because of you," he said. I blushed at his answer. "Me?" I asked. He nodded. "You've never given up on me, Kagome," he said. "I'm a yokai because of my strength and I'm a human because of my heart, but ever since I met you, it's awakened my human heart to want to use the yokai in me to protect people." I was even more surprised. "Wow," I said. "Inuyasha, I'm amazed how much you've changed."

"So am I," he replied. "I used to be consumed with the desire to become a full yokai. Then, when the Tessaiga broke and it actually happened, I was…terrified." He shuddered. "I was constantly worried that the next time it happened, I'd come after you. That's when I realized that strength from mindless power wasn't what I wanted. I wanted the strength from having someone who believed in me: the strength I get from you, Kagome." Inuyasha blushed a little. "So, uh, thanks," he finished a little awkwardly.

I couldn't believe how much Inuyasha had changed. It was weird to hear him speak so openly about his feelings. I was so used to him being closed off for the most part, but now he's like a different person. It's a good weird, and I was happy to see how much he's grown.

I laughed and took his arm. "I'm glad that I could help you," I replied. He smiled. "You've done a lot more than that," he replied. I blushed and we continued walking.

When we got to the base of the mountain, Inuyasha and I began to look for signs of the yokai. As I searched around the trees, I was reminded of last night. It made me start to think about what the future had in store for us.

I loved Inuyasha, and I was certain that he loved me, too. His every action when it came to the two of us confirmed my belief, and I didn't think I would have ever been able to be this happy if I hadn't come back to this era. About how he would react to my thoughts of our future, though, I'm still not sure.

A loud stomping broke me away from my thoughts, and I gasped when I saw a huge yokai with more arms than I could count. It was coming toward us with its sharp teeth bared.

Inuyasha grabbed the Tessaiga and we braced for a fight. I loaded an arrow onto my bow and shot it at the yokai.

After a few unsuccessful attempts to shoot down the yokai or for Inuyasha to hit it with his Wind Scar, he suddenly turned to me and met my eyes.

"You remember what to do?" he asked. I paused for a moment, but I quickly knew exactly what he was talking about. Determination filled me as I nodded at Inuyasha.

We turned to face the yokai head-on and I watched as Inuyasha got ready to attack. The yokai charged at us and Inuyasha raised his sword.

" _Backlash Wave_!" Inuyasha yelled as he swung the Tessaiga. As soon as the Backlash Wave began hurtling toward the yokai, I loaded my bow and shot a sacred arrow in the middle of Inuyasha's wave.

Our two attacks combined and the yokai yelled out. With a blast of wind and a bright purple light, the yokai disintegrated.

I let out a cheer and Inuyasha sheathed his sword proudly. "It's like we never stopped fighting together," I said as he walked over to me. Inuyasha smiled proudly before looking around. He sniffed the air once and nodded toward the mountain.

"I can smell the missing villagers," he said. "They're all together." A somber look came over his face. "Some of them are dead." I shook my head and we headed toward the villagers.

We found the missing villagers and some of their bodies once we'd reached the spot where the yokai had hidden them. None of the ones that had survived seemed to have any life-threatening injuries, so I patched them up as best as I could before we helped them back to the village.

They were received happily by their fellow villagers, and I felt the familiar joy from a successful mission. I'd missed the accomplished feeling that came with helping people in this era, and I was once again flooded with memories and how happy I was to be back.

Once everyone was settled, Inuyasha cracked his knuckles and stretched his neck.

"Let's head out," he said. "I'm ready to go home." As we started making our way back, I couldn't help but feel…relieved. Not just at the fact that we'd vanquished that demon, but because Inuyasha had said _home_. He finally felt at home somewhere.

And so did I.

To be continued...

This was a difficult chapter to write because of the interaction between Inuyasha and the villagers they meet near the beginning. I thought it was important to show the peace Inuyasha has with his hanyo side and the role Kagome had in that. I tried to keep it as in-character as possible, so hopefully it was a success!

I'll try to get my next chapter up soon. It's one of my favorites, so I can't wait to share it with you all!

I love seeing you guys' comments. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story! Much love. :)


	4. Heart-to-Heart

Hello, loves. This is the one of my favorite chapters, and it's also where I got the title of this fic from. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 4: Heart-to-Heart

Peace had come over our village, and Inuyasha and I began spending the majority of our time together. He came by the house I'd been living in every morning and then we'd go over to the house of whoever was cooking that morning. Kaede, Miroku and Sango, and I all alternated who made which meal. It was nice to have some structure instead of the chaos we used to have while searching for Naraku and the Jewel.

Inuyasha and I also made it a part of our routine to take walks every evening after dinner. Our favorite spot to go was the Sacred Tree. We would find ourselves sitting under it often, just holding hands and enjoying each other's company.

When we sat down at the base of the tree on this night, it was no different. Inuyasha leaned back against it and his arms immediately came around me. He pulled me close so my head was on his chest. We were comfortably silent until I began to laugh quietly.

Inuyasha leaned his head down to look at me. "What's so funny?" he asked. I looked up at him.

"You and me," I replied. He looked confused and I laughed again. "It's just…it's amazing how much everything has changed between us," I explained. I leaned my head back against him. "Remember how we couldn't stand each other when we first met?" I asked. Inuyasha laughed with me. "Oh yeah, I remember," he replied. "But now it's the opposite," I said, growing a bit serious.

Inuyasha nodded against my head. "You're right," he said. "I think that's what's so crazy. If someone had told me on the day we met that I would wind up falling in love with you, I never would've believed it." My eyes widened and I sat up to look at him. "What?" I asked, wanting to hear those words again. Inuyasha looked confused. "What?" he repeated.

"You said…about…falling in…." I stuttered stupidly. Inuyasha's face took on a red hue. "Oh, um," he said, pausing. "Yeah, well as time went on and we were together more often, I stopped seeing you as the weak girl I thought you were. I realized how strong and brave and kind you were. And, I don't know, I just…fell in…" he trailed off. "Love," I finished for him, smiling. He nodded, smiling back.

"Yeah, love. Because…" he paused. "I'm in love with you, Kagome." My eyes widened again at his confession. Inuyasha laughed lightly. "I think I knew I was a goner not long after we met, but it kind of snuck up on me that I actually _did_ have feelings for you. I tried to deny it for a long time, which I'm sure you remember," he said sheepishly.

I definitely did remember. Back then, it was strange and, at times, a little disheartening to see Inuyasha go from insanely protective of me to insanely defensive of his motivation to do so. _She's just a jewel detector,_ he had once said.

That was the one that stuck with me throughout everything. I wasn't mad at him, though. I wasn't even hurt anymore. Honestly, I think that his denial only made me want to fight harder for him and eventually him for me. I think it's made what we have stronger because the change in both of us, in Inuyasha especially, has become so obvious. I smiled a little to myself as Inuyasha continued.

"But then suddenly the most natural thing for me to do was love you," he said. A smile filled his face. "It still is. I love you, Kagome," he finished. I smiled back at him.

"I love you, too, Inuyasha," I replied. He held me close to him and after a minute, he kissed me.

Inuyasha met his lips with my mine in a tender, feather-like kiss. His hands moved to my back and slowly slid up into my hair. He smiled against my mouth as the kiss went on, and I pulled him as close as I could.

This kiss was different from any other that we'd had. Sure, we'd kissed since that first night. Actually, we'd kissed a lot since then. And yet, none of those kisses were like that night under the tree and this one was no different.

We'd been making up for lost time on that first night, but now we were making our own time. We were sealing a promise for our future.

This kiss felt like the first. It felt like a beginning.

When it finally got too chilly to stay outside, Inuyasha walked me back to my house. When we reached the doorway, he looked down at me and smiled. "Good night," he said. I smiled back at him.

"Good night," I replied. "I love you, Inuyasha." His eyes shone and he brought his hand up to touch my cheek. His fingers gently moved against it and he moved his hand into my hair. He tucked a dark lock behind my ear and followed the long strand down to its end. His warmth radiated through my garb, and suddenly the night didn't feel as cold.

Inuyasha smiled as he moved his hand to my neck, and I relished in his tender touch. Despite how gentle his hands were, his eyes remained intense, determined. It made me think that he was going to kiss me again, but he didn't. Instead, his arms came around me and he pulled me to him in a tight hug.

We didn't need to say anything. We both knew.

I closed my eyes and hugged him back with everything I had.

To be continued…

Okay, so that was full of fluff, but I don't think it's possible to write the love confessions without a little cheesiness. Let me know what you think! Much love. :)


	5. Aftermath of a Happy Conversation

Hello, my dear readers. I'm on spring break right now, so I have a lot of extra time to not only binge watch Grey's Anatomy, but to work on bringing you more chapters!

I've decided to upload the next few chapters at the same time. They're fairly short, and I want to go ahead and focus on getting them uploaded. After them comes the reveal of Inuyasha's big secret.

Here we go!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 5: Aftermath of a Happy Conversation

I couldn't believe how scared I was to finally tell Kagome that I loved her.

We both knew how the other felt, but saying it out loud just felt so final. We had already sealed our future together on the day I found her at the well, but actually saying those three words to each other strengthened our promise. No matter what, it would always be us in the end. It took us four years to figure it all out, but we were meant for each other.

I guess I was still pretty happy when I left Kagome's house because when I saw Miroku walking down the road, he stopped me with a funny look on his face.

"My, my, Inuyasha," he began with a grin. "Don't you look giddy this evening?" I immediately frowned and crossed my arms over my chest. "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked. "I don't ever look 'giddy.'" Miroku laughed.

"Come now, my friend," he said. "You seem quite happy. Could it have something to do with a certain Miko?"

I felt myself soften at the mention of Kagome, and I could tell that Miroku noticed my change in demeanor. "Have you two gotten engaged?" he asked. I was taken aback. "What?" I asked quickly. "What kind of a question is that?" Miroku shrugged.

"I just assumed that after the three-year separation you two would want to get a jump on things," he explained. I rolled my eyes as a blush filled my cheeks.

"Kagome's only been back for two weeks, Miroku," I said. "That's a little soon, don't you think?" Miroku smiled unabashedly. "No time like the present," he replied. His smile turned to a smirk.

"However," he began, "if it was not a marriage proposal that has you so happy, then what is it?" I felt the blush come back but I figured I'd just lay it out there.

"Uh, we said we loved each other," I said. Miroku looked at me knowingly. "One step closer," he replied. "You'll be married soon enough."

Miroku went on for a few minutes about what it was like to be a husband, and it wasn't surprising to hear that what he considered some of the most important things in a marriage weren't exactly deep conversations. I rolled my eyes at him during most of his speech, but he didn't seem to notice.

"In all seriousness, Inuyasha," Miroku said after his lecture was over. "I'm really happy for you and Kagome. You two being together has been a long time coming." I sighed. "I know," I replied.

"So," Miroku began, "how many children will you two have?" My eyes widened and I felt a furious blush fill my face. "You sure are full of stupid questions tonight," I replied. Miroku rolled his eyes. "Come now, Inuyasha," he said. "I see you as a family man. Perhaps ten or eleven children?"

I don't think I'd ever rolled my eyes so hard.

"I'm leaving," I said as I began to walk away. Miroku chuckled and began walking in the opposite direction. "Soon enough," I heard him mutter.

Despite that conversation being annoying, I couldn't help but smile. Kagome and I were each other's now. That's all that mattered.

To be continued…

Okay, okay, I know that Inuyasha has begun to seem like he's OOC. Honestly, I don't think he is. I'm writing him in a way that I hope portrays his growth. I wanted to include that in this chapter, but I also needed to include that he's still a semi-awkward person. In case you think that Inuyasha appears to be acting a lot different and it seems OOC, just realize that I'm writing him in a way that I think his growth would progress. I'd love to hear your comments so I can keep whatever suggestions in mind for future chapters. Yes, Inuyasha will become even more open. I tried to make it seem as plausible as I could, and at an appropriate pace, so hopefully I've handled it correctly. All in all, this how I think things would happen. Or at least, this is how I _hope_ things would happen. :)

I'm in awe with how many people have my read fic (almost 500!). I'm amazed that there are people in other countries that have seen it. Shout out to for showing the story stats graphs! Don't forget to leave a review!

Much love. :)


	6. Kagome and Sango

Of course I had to include a chapter focused on Kagome and Sango. I love their friendship so much, and I wanted to write a chapter about their continued relationship. This is another one of my favorites, and I think Kagome and Sango get a sense of closure in their conversation about two people that mean the world to them, but that they miss deeply. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 6: Kagome and Sango

"Sango?" My voice rang in the morning air as I stood outside Miroku and Sango's house. I'd been spending a lot of time with Inuyasha and Sango was busy with her kids, so we hadn't really gotten to do much with just the two of us. When Sango told me she had to wash some of her family's clothing, I jumped on the thought of helping her out and having some much needed time together.

"What's it like to be a mom?" I asked her as we walked to the river. Sango sighed with a small smile on her face. "Loud," she replied. "Messy. Smelly. Wonderful." I laughed. "Wow," I said. "That's really overwhelming." Sango laughed with me. "It can be, but it's fun, too," she replied. "Miroku is a great father so that makes things easier." I smiled.

We had reached the river, so I began to help Sango lay out all of the laundry. "Man," I said once we had everything lying out in the water. "You've got a ton of stuff to wash." Sango shook her head good-naturedly. "Having three kids all under the age of three will do that to you," she replied. "I wouldn't have it any other way, though."

"I'm happy to hear that," I said. "You and Miroku deserve happiness after everything that's happened." Sango turned to me and smiled. "I'm happy that things worked out the way they did," she replied. Her smile faded a bit. "Of course, it's not perfect. I wish Kohaku came around more often."

I reached out and touched her hand. "When was the last time he visited?" I asked. Sango paused to think for a moment. "The last time he came to the village was when the twins were born," she replied. "Even before then, I knew that it was still hard for him to be around us. There are just too many bad memories.

"He did stay with us in the village for a few days after the well closed. It was then that he told me about his plans to finish his training as a taijiya, so I let him take Kirara with him." Sango sighed.

"We sent word to him when Miroku and I got married, and he came to that. He visited a year later just to say hello, and that's when he met the twins. He didn't know that I'd been pregnant. I don't think he knows that I got pregnant again a few months later." Her smiled completely turned to a frown.

"I think it's just too hard on him," she said. "I have to remember that he's still young. I mean, he's barely fifteen. He's just not as capable of handling what happened. I think seeing that I was able to come to peace with things and begin a family makes him feel like he'll never get that. Kohaku doesn't have anyone except Kirara, but a yokai cat can't give him the company a human can. I offered to let him live here when he was taking a break from training, but he declined. He said he'd stay with Totosai."

Sango shook her head. "We sort of drifted apart after that final battle with Naraku. It makes me really sad, but I'm happy to know that he's alive and well." She went quiet, and that's when I knew that she was getting lost in the sad memories. I reached out and touched her hand.

"I'm sorry, Sango," I said. "I miss my brother, too. Well, our situations are completely different, but I understand how it feels to miss a little brother." Sango looked at me.

"I totally forgot you had a brother," she replied. "What's his name?" I smiled and thought of Sota. "His name is Sota," I replied. "He turned twelve about a few days ago." Sango looked sympathetic. "You missed his birthday, right?" she asked. She didn't say it like she was accusing me; she only understood how I felt.

"Yeah, I did," I replied. "That was the first one I missed, but my whole family understood that I was meant to live my life out in this era." Sango sighed.

"Kagome, I want you to know that you can confide in me whenever you're sad about your brother," she said. I finally smiled. "The same goes for you," I replied. Sango smiled back at me, and I could tell that she felt better. Finally, she turned completely toward me and tucked her legs under her.

"But enough about all this sadness," she said suddenly. "I want to hear about you and Inuyasha." I laughed. "I was wondering when someone would ask," I replied. Sango smiled at me knowingly. "So fill me in!" she chirped. "How is it going with you two?" I felt myself turn bright red.

"Well, obviously we're together," I began with a growing smile. Sango let out a little cheer. "When will you two get married?" I held my hands up.

"Whoa," I said. "I haven't been back long enough for that." I couldn't help but smile again. "But…some allusions have been made." Sango squealed again. "Has he dropped the big L yet?" she asked. I felt my blush deepen.

"Yes," I replied shyly. "He told me a few nights ago.'" Sango looked like she was going to die of happiness.

"I'm so excited," she said. We laughed for a moment until Sango grew somber. "You know," she began, "I have to be honest." My laughter died down at the serious expression on her face. "Inuyasha was so heartbroken when you disappeared," she said.

I thought about the disbelief and pain that had been in Inuyasha's eyes when I had first returned. "I could tell," I replied quietly. "We talked about it a little, but not much. It seems too hard for him right now." Sango sighed.

"Miroku told me that Inuyasha seldom talked about you to him," she began. "But when he did, Miroku said that Inuyasha's sadness was evident. He even told Miroku that the pain he felt without you was worse than when Kikyo died." I was shocked at that. He'd been so depressed after Kikyo's death.

"Kagome," Sango said seriously. "We could all see from the way he held himself that he was just…empty. He was still able to fight and laugh and everything, but it was always like he wasn't going to be able to really be himself again until you returned." I sighed.

"He told me that he never gave up hope that I would come back," I replied. "He said he always knew I would return." Sango nodded sadly. "He's a stubborn one," she said. "But he really does love you. He always has." I smiled a watery smiled and nodded. "I know," I replied.

Sango tried to smile. "Everything is wonderful now though, right?" she asked. I pictured Inuyasha and nodded. "And," I began as I smiled back at her, "you'll be the first person I tell when we get engaged." Sango laughed. "I better be!" she replied.

Sango and I laughed and continued doing her laundry. We'd talked more than we'd cleaned, so we still had a lot to do. As we washed the clothes and blankets, I filled her in on some of the other stuff that had happened with Inuyasha and I. Sango was beaming with her happiness for us, and I could relate to her. It was the same happiness I felt for her when she and Miroku first became an item.

When we were done with the laundry, we headed back to our village and to the people we loved.

To be continued…

Much love. :)


	7. Embarrassing Advice

In the last episode of the Final Act and in the last book in the manga, Inuyasha seems to have developed a kinship with Kaede, and that's where I got the inspiration for this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 7: Embarrassing Advice

I can't believe I'm here or that I'm actually doing this, but somehow I've wound up in Kaede's house for relationship advice.

"Hello there, Inuyasha," Kaede said when I walked in. "Hey," I replied uncertainly. I came and sat down across from her. A pot of soup was cooking in front of her, and the smell of it almost distracted me. I tried to stifle a growl from my stomach.

"I need some advice," I said. Kaede nodded, unfazed. Surprisingly, she had been the person I spoke to the most during Kagome's absence. I talked to Miroku a couple times, but I was always more comfortable talking to Kaede. She just understood everything better.

"What do ye need help with?" she asked. I paused and avoided her gaze. "It's about Kagome," I began. Kaede put down her spoon and I felt her focus in on what I had to say.

"I want to…um," I paused and felt myself start to blush. Kaede chuckled. "Ye want to ask her to marry ye, correct?" she asked. I finally looked up and met her eyes. "Yes," I said. "I really want to…uh, propose." Kaede smiled.

"Then ye should just ask her," she replied. "Kagome will not say no." I couldn't meet her eyes. This was too embarrassing. "I know that," I said. "I just don't know how to ask."

I thought about a gift her mother had given me before the well closed. I knew I would give that to her, but I also needed to know what to say.

"Can you just tell me what to do?" I asked. "I want to ask her soon." Kaede laughed. "I cannot tell ye what to say," she said. "Ye must come up with that on your own." Her laugh turned to a thoughtful smile. "Ye love Kagome. Ye will know what to say when the time is right." I sighed and knew that was the only answer I was going to get today.

Instead of picking an argument, I silently bowed my head to her and left the house.

If Kaede was right, then I'd know what to say. I just hoped I realized what that was soon.

To be continued…

Cute, right? Maybe, maybe not. Let me know what you think!

Much love. :)


	8. Compromise

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takashi.

Chapter 8: Compromise

I was blissfully happy.

Everything was falling into place, and I loved my life. I also loved a certain hanyo, and he loved me. His admission of love gave me hope; I knew that he was going to propose soon.

About a week after Inuyasha told me he loved me, he had to go on an urgent job with Miroku. When he left, he nearly left me in shock by kissing me in front of Miroku and Sango. It was a quick, chaste kiss, but it still made my heart flutter. Inuyasha obviously had no intention of acting like we weren't _together_ , and after all the time he spent hiding his feelings for me, it was nice to have him open about everything.

Miroku, on the other hand, had no reservations about kissing Sango very passionately right in front of us. By the time Inuyasha and I had quickly kissed and hugged each other, Miroku and Sango were still locked in an embrace. Sango finally broke away; she'd always been private about things and obviously still was. Her cheeks were bright red but Miroku wore a look of triumph on his face.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and I just laughed.

They left soon after, and I was instantly filled with nervousness. I knew that Inuyasha was strong, but something could always happen.

As Sango and I walked back into the village from where we had left our guys, I asked her about it.

"Do you get scared whenever Miroku goes on a job?" I asked. Sango sighed. "Every time," she replied. "He's in danger every time he leaves. I know he'll be fine, but it's hard to not worry." I frowned.

"It's weird," I said. "Inuyasha and I went on a job together the day after I got back. He said Miroku was helping you so I went instead." I laughed.

"Apparently now if both the men are able to go, they leave their women at home." Sango laughed along with me.

"That's part of the reason why I get scared," she explained as she grew a little serious. "I'm not with him. I like working as a team, so not being with him while he's fighting is out of my comfort zone." I paused to mull over her words.

Sango smiled and shook her head. "We know they'll come back soon, though," she said. "They're too proud to die." I laughed and felt better, but I knew I wouldn't be completely fine until they got home…not until I saw Inuyasha.

Everything was successful with them, of course. I was at home when Inuyasha returned. When he walked through the door, I jumped up and ran to him. He seemed surprised at how I greeted him, but he returned my embrace all the same.

"I missed you," I murmured. I felt Inuyasha chuckle quietly. "I was only gone for the day," he replied. I shook my head against him. "It's just different now," I said. Inuyasha pulled back so he could meet my eyes.

"What's different?" he asked. I suddenly felt really stupid.

"I know it sounds dumb, but I was worried about you today," I replied. "I don't like not going with you. I didn't want anything to happen to you." Inuyasha looked confused. "Kagome," he said gently. "You don't have to worry. I'm not going anywhere. If I'm not around, who's gonna keep you out of trouble?" I laughed and rolled my eyes.

"Is it okay if I go with you next time?" I asked. Inuyasha hesitated. "I don't know," he replied. "I feel the same way with you. I prefer for you to stay here so I know you won't get hurt." I laughed again.

"Look at us," I said. "We're both so concerned with each other's safety that we're just being ridiculous." Inuyasha smiled.

"You can come next time then," he replied. "But…not every time." I nodded. "That sounds fair," I said. Inuyasha cupped my cheek in his hand.

"So now that we've taken care of that," he began as a gleam came to his eyes, "can I kiss you?" I giggled and leaned up.

To be continued…

I'll be uploading one more chapter today. I hope you guys aren't getting too tired of me!

Much love. :)


	9. Shippo's Scolding

**Inuyasha** : **Chapter 9…Shippo's Scolding**

Heeerrreee's Shippo!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 9: Shippo's Scolding

I had parted ways from Kagome at her house about ten minutes ago. She'd asked me if I wanted to start sleeping on the extra futon in her house, but I declined. I didn't want people to talk.

I smiled as I walked to the tree I'd been crashing in lately. We would both live in that house soon enough; I was going to propose within the next few days. I just needed to figure out a good way to do it.

When I was about to fall asleep in the tree, I felt someone jump up onto the branch next to me.

"Shippo?" I said when I saw who it was. Shippo smiled widely at me.

"I came to visit!" he exclaimed. "And I missed Kagome." I laughed. "She's at home right now getting ready for bed," I replied. "You can see her tomorrow." Shippo eyed me.

"Miroku said that you still haven't proposed to her," he accused. "Why not?" Usually that kind of question would annoy me to no end, but I tried to keep my cool.

"I'm going to propose soon," I told him. "I'm just waiting for a good time." Shippo's eyes widened and he threw himself into my arms in a tight hug.

I patted his back once before I pulled him off. "Okay, that's enough," I said as I put him down on another branch. Shippo didn't even bat an eye.

"How are you going to do it?" he asked. I shrugged. "I don't know yet," I replied. "When the moment is right, I'll figure it out."

Shippo's smile brightened. "Can I be there to watch?" he asked. I rolled my eyes. "No, Shippo," I replied. Shippo's smile turned to a pout. "Please?" he whined. "Pretty please?"

"Nope," I replied. Shippo continued to pout, but he dropped his questions.

"Whatever," he finally said. "I'm just happy you're finally doing something about your 'secret' feelings." I leaned back against the tree and sighed.

"Me, too," I admitted. "But you're starting to get on my nerves so scram." Shippo punched me on the arm.

"Ouch!" I cried out. That little bugger had gotten strong. "What are they teaching you at the monastery?" I asked. "How to punch a piece of lead to the moon?" Shippo grinned proudly.

"I'm ranked fifth now," he said. "That's another reason why I came back. I wanted to tell you." I smirked. "Well, good work, little runt," I replied. Shippo smiled brightly. My compliments aren't easy to come by.

"Thanks, Inuyasha," he replied. I brushed off his gratitude.

"Now go to bed," I said. "If you're quiet, you could probably sleep in Kagome's house. Then you can talk to her first thing in the morning." Shippo nodded and quickly sniffed the air. A moment later, he ran off in the direction of Kagome's house. I didn't even have to tell him where it was.

That little guy was learning a lot at the monastery.

To be continued…

Okay, last chapter for today. The next chapter is when Inuyasha's big secret is revealed, and I'm going to edit the crap out of it to make sure it's perfect for you guys! I'll try and get it up within the next few days.

Much love. :)


	10. Inuyasha's Secret

Hello, my loves! Here's the chapter where the ball starts rolling. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 10: Inuyasha's Secret

Not too long after the day at the river, I got an unexpected visit.

It was a normal-feeling morning as I waited for Inuyasha to come to my house. As I was laying the blanket over my futon, I heard the shade at my door rustle. Without turning around, I smiled. "Good morning, Inuyasha," I said.

I turned to look at the doorway expecting to see his golden eyes shining at me.

I was sadly mistaken.

Kikyo was standing before me with a frown on her face and her eyes flashing. I gasped when I saw her and for a moment, neither of us spoke.

Finally, I broke the silence. "Kikyo?" I said hesitantly. "Is that you?" Kikyo was quiet for another moment and then she spoke. "I've been watching you," she replied, ignoring my question. "And him." My eyes widened. "But how are you here?" I asked. "When you died after Naraku's miasma overtook your body, weren't you at peace? Weren't you able to move on?"

Kikyo shook her head distraughtly. "Peace was temporary," she said, her voice sounding sad. "The love I have for Inuyasha is too strong. It cannot die with me." Confusion filled me.

"What is it that you want?" I dared to ask. Kikyo frowned. "I want him," she replied. " _My_ Inuyasha." I felt my heart skip a beat.

"Do you want to…kill him?" I asked. Kikyo sighed. "I want us to be together," she replied. "That's all I've ever wanted. Since I am dead, the answer is yes. He must die to be able to be with me." I felt a pang in my stomach.

"But, Kikyo," I began. "You didn't feel this way before you died." Kikyo looked at me intently. Her eyes were sad, and her brows were knit together in obvious worry. "It's your fault," she replied. I was taken aback. "How is it my fault?" I asked.

"From my temporary peaceful state, I was still able to see him," she said. "I saw the way he acted as time went on. He seems to think that he has the same feelings for you as he did for me," she said. "That hurts me in a way that I can't describe." My heart broke a little for her.

"I'm sorry," I replied sincerely. "I want to help you, but what Inuyasha and I have is real. He's happy." Kikyo shook her head and anger filled her eyes.

"He isn't truly happy," she said in a cold tone. "When I died, he tried to cling to the thing that reminded him of me the most: you. He's so stuck in his ways of coping that he's forgotten who he truly loves. That's why I have to kill him and bring him with me in death." I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Kikyo, I don't understand," I explained. "You didn't want to kill Inuyasha before your death. You were focused on destroying Naraku like we were." Kikyo paused.

"Maybe that is true," she began. "And I truly did think that I was at peace, but after I saw Inuyasha continuing his life…a life without me… I realized that peace for me isn't _really_ peace without him." Kikyo shook her head.

"And then when I finally spoke with him after returning from that peaceful state," she continued, "he was like a completely different person. He was still waiting for you after three years! Kagome, it's too hard to see how deep in these fake emotions he's become. He _has_ to come with me." Her words registered with me after a moment.

"Wait, when did you talk to Inuyasha?" I asked. Kikyo's expression was unfathomable. "It was not long before your return," she replied. "Didn't he tell you?" My lack of an answer seemed to be enough for her to assume that he hadn't.

Her eyes flashed and she suddenly became angry. "Do you see what I mean?" she asked. "Why wouldn't he tell you? He wants to have me as a choice. You are failing to see that your relationship is one-sided. Inuyasha doesn't truly love you." My eyes widened. "You're wrong," I replied. Kikyo's frown only grew.

"You're in denial," she said. "You know I'm right. Didn't you see him when I died? He was so upset. He cried for my sake and he held me close to him. Then right before my body finally gave out, he kissed me like we were _both_ about to die. Tell me, Kagome. Did he ever kiss you like that before I was gone?"

My cheeks went hot. Inuyasha had taken Kikyo to a spot a little further from us during Kikyo's final moments, so I hadn't seen whatever kiss Kikyo was talking about. _But she's right,_ I thought to myself. _Inuyasha never kissed me until Kikyo died. Well, he did try to kiss me once, but that was because he thought I looked like Kikyo._

"Haven't you noticed that he didn't try to be with you until _after_ I died?" she continued. I clenched my fists. "That doesn't mean anything," I replied, trying to muster up some dignity. "Just leave us alone. Don't even go near Inuyasha."

Kikyo's eyes flashed yet again. "He may have told you that he loves you, but don't mind it," she continued. "I'm the only one he could ever really love and you know I'm right. Why else would he have kept my return a secret from you? Kagome, you've always been his second choice. You will never be as important to him as me." My blood boiled at her words and anger rushed through my veins.

"Get out," I said. "Get out and leave us alone." Kikyo suddenly looked guilty. "Kagome," she said, "I know this upsets you, but how do you think I feel? I've been watching the man I love believe he's fallen in love with another woman when I know he only truly loves me." I paused. I felt an overwhelming sense of pity for her. "Kikyo…" I began.

Kikyo shook her head. "We'll meet again soon," she replied as she left my house.

My hands were shaking as I sat down on the floor of my house. "No," I whispered to myself. "This can't be happening again." I pulled my knees up to my chest and lay my head on them with my arms covering my face. I stayed that way until my heart stopped racing and my breathing had slowed down. _She's going to try and take him from me._

"Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice came from right outside the door. I quickly whipped my head up and tried to hide how I was feeling. "I'm here," I called back, my voice still a little shaky. Inuyasha walked in with a smile on his face but it disappeared when he saw me.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he came over to kneel in front of me. I looked at him, wondering what I should say.

"Inuyasha," I said, avoiding his question. "Is there anything that you need to tell me?" He paused. "Why?" he asked. "Did something happen?" Now he was the one avoiding the questions. I felt the urge to cry, but I wasn't about to do that. I settled on anger instead.

" _Osuwari_ ," I said. "Oof!" Inuyasha slammed into the ground and I felt a little better. "Kagome," Inuyasha said in his annoyed voice. He quickly sat up and looked at me with irritation in his eyes. "What was that for?" he asked.

"Why didn't you tell me that Kikyo was back?" I asked. My voice was filled with more sadness than anger. Inuyasha's irritation dissolved as he looked at me in defeat. He sighed.

"It wasn't a big deal," he replied. "She came to see me about two months ago. She wanted me to go with her, but I said no and I told her to leave. That's it." The anger was back.

"'It wasn't a big deal?'" I repeated. "Inuyasha, it _is_ a big deal." A look of shame came onto his face, but I wasn't done with him yet.

"How could you not tell me?" I asked, trying not to raise my voice. "She's back and it's going to be the same as it used to be." I shook my head and stood up. "I don't want to do this all over again. I don't want to constantly compare myself to her or worry that one day you'll decide that you'd be better off with her after all. It hurt back then and it'll hurt again now."

Inuyasha rose up with me and stepped closer. "Is that how you feel?" he asked, the surprise evident in his voice. He reached out his hand to touch my cheek. I was upset and hurt and angry, but I couldn't help but lean my face into his palm. "Yes," I said quietly. "And it sucks." Inuyasha frowned. "Kagome, just hear me out…" he said. With a curt shake of my head, I cut him off.

"Inuyasha," I said. "I'm so mad right now. I don't even know what to say."

Inuyasha reached out and wrapped his arms around my waist. "I'm never going to leave you," he murmured. I pulled away and was about to call BS on him and fall into an emotional pit of despair, but instead I forced myself to calm down.

"You know what?" I began as I sat back down. "I'm not fifteen anymore. As much as I want to yell at you or cry or run off in a temper tantrum, I won't." Inuyasha looked surprised. "Really?" he asked. I nodded but kept the frown on my face.

"Explain what happened," I said seriously. Inuyasha quickly sat down in front of me and began speaking.

"Kikyo wanted me to go with her," he began. "I told her I couldn't because I was still waiting for you. That's when she knew that I loved you. _You_ , Kagome. You come first." My anger subsided a bit so that I felt okay with taking his hand. He held on tightly as he continued.

"My debt to Kikyo was paid when she finally found peace and died, so I don't know why she suddenly came back," he said. I broke in.

"She said she's still in love with you," I said. "Kikyo doesn't believe that you really love me. She thinks…she thinks that you're with me because she's not around anymore. She can't rest until you two are together." Inuyasha sighed.

"It wasn't like that before she died," he replied. His eyes turned up to me.

"I'm so sorry, Kagome," he said. I sighed. "I know you are," I replied. Then I remembered what Kikyo said about the moments before she died.

"Did you kiss Kikyo before she died?" I asked. Inuyasha looked guilty. "Yes," he confessed. "I did." I wasn't sure how I felt. It didn't surprise me; they had been engaged at one point. "That's what she told me," I replied. "I just wanted to know if it was true."

Inuyasha leaned back and groaned. "I'm sorry," he said again. "I've been so stupid." I put my hand on his knee and tried to get his attention again.

"Don't apologize for that," I said sincerely. "You two were engaged. I understand why you would want to kiss her goodbye." Inuyasha met my eyes and looked surprised.

"Really?" he asked. I nodded and half-shrugged. "I'm not mad about that." Inuyasha set his hand on mine and gently rubbed his thumb across it. "I'm still sorry," he said quietly. I sighed.

"I know," I replied. Inuyasha shook his head.

"No, really," he insisted. "I've loved you for so long…even before Kikyo first returned. When she first came back, I was focused on trying to fulfill my debt to her. Then you and I became closer and I just…" He paused and shook his head.

"When Kikyo returned, it stirred up old feelings," he explained. "There was that whole betrayal and I felt like I owed her my life. Kikyo had died because of me, so I let that get in the way of everything else. I wish I had been able to realize that the love I had for you was stronger than the duty I felt toward Kikyo. The way I felt about her is nothing compared to how I feel about you. I didn't know that I could feel like this or that I'd be able love someone so much."

Tears began leaking out of my eyes. "Kagome, you were never a second choice," he said. "Never." I nodded.

"I'm sorry," I whispered through the tears. Inuyasha looked shocked. "Why are you apologizing?" he asked. I shook my head.

"I didn't believe in you like I should have," I replied. Inuyasha sighed and pulled me to him. "I'm the one that didn't give you a reason to," he murmured into my hair.

We held each other for a few moments until I finally pulled away.

"What do we do now?" I asked.

Inuyasha shook his head. "I wish I knew," he said.

To be continued…

Okay, yes, I brought back Kikyo. I feel like the manga didn't really do the end of the whole InuKik ordeal (no offense to Rumiko Takahasi-sama), so that's why she's back again. Also, I'm definitely not a Kikyo hater. I'm not going to make her seem like a villain like some writers do. But, of course, all respect to those that don't like her.

In terms of this fic, don't see her as evil; she's a lost soul filled with a sadness. I really hope this chapter did at least an okay job re-introducing her. Feel free to leave any questions you may have about the return. I may come back to this chapter later and do some editing depending on how the rest of the editing process goes with future chapters and any feedback I get from you all. I do take your comments into account. :)

I'll try to upload the next chapter as soon as possible. Keep an eye out ;)

Much love. :)


	11. Honesty

I'll begin by trying to clarify some stuff…so a comment from windbreaking (sorry I made you forget to eat breakfast!) brought up the opinion of Kagome and Kikyo being the same person. Before I get to that, I want to say that I also feel sorry for Kikyo, and that's why I brought her back. I hope I haven't made it too complicated, but it will be clearer soon. Have no fear, my dear! I have a lot in store for Kikyo in this fic, and I can't wait to share it with you all. :)

However, I do see Kagome and Kikyo as two completely different people. The only connection they have, I think, is their soul. I think that my opinion sort of comes from the whole "choice" between Kagome and Kikyo that Inuyasha always had to juggle. If they were the same person, then would it have been that hard for Inuyasha to decide between living with Kagome and dying with Kikyo? If they truly were the same person, then I think it would just be Inuyasha choosing between life and death. Does that make sense? Let me know if you have any questions! I'm always happy to address and answer.

Overall, the differences between Kagome and Kikyo are too great for me to be able to write about them as the same person, but that's just my opinion! And as always, thanks for reading. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 11: Honesty

The rest of the day…well, the rest of the week was no picnic.

I had been planning to propose to Kagome on the day that Kikyo visited, but their little conversation pretty much dampened the mood for the near future. Kagome seemed on edge ever since their confrontation, and I was just trying to figure out what the heck to do about both Kagome _and_ Kikyo. Never thought I'd have to do that again.

Miroku and I had to go on an extermination job a couple days after Kikyo came, and I think it was good for Kagome to have to some breathing room. When Miroku and I returned that evening, Kagome wasn't at her house. I sniffed around a bit and found that her scent led to the well.

 _Why is she at the well?_ I wondered. _We never go there anymore…_ Then it hit me.

Kagome was going home.

I hightailed it to the Bone Eater's Well and when I saw Kagome's figure sitting in front of it, I ran straight to her and hugged her tightly.

"Inuyasha?" she said in a surprised voice as I sat down in front of her. "What are you…?" I pulled back and searched her face with an intensity that I knew must have caught her off-guard.

"I thought you had left," I admitted. Kagome's eyes widened and all of sudden, her eyes filled with tears.

For a moment, I was just frozen in surprise. Finally, I snapped out of it and tried to comfort her.

"Kagome?" I said as I reached out to smooth down her hair. Kagome tried to quickly wipe away her tears before they started to fall.

Finally, she lifted shook her head and looked away from me. "I'm sorry," she whispered with her face turned to the ground.

"What's wrong?" I asked. I had no clue how to approach this, and I still wasn't good at dealing with Kagome crying. I didn't think I'd have to worry about it once she came back, but I guess things always change. Nothing seemed consistent nowadays.

She sniffed a little. "I would never leave this era," she replied. "I would never leave you…" She shook her head.

"I didn't come to the well to leave," she continued. "But…I came to remember it's here. As an option." More tears came and she wiped her eyes again.

I gently reached for her and pulled her into my arms as she tried to calm herself down.

"I'm sorry," she whispered a few minutes later. I hugged her close.

"Quit apologizing," I scolded lightly. "You didn't do anything wrong." Kagome shook her head against me.

I sighed as she curled into me. "Kagome," I said, "it's okay. We both know you would never leave, but I don't blame you for acknowledging that you can." Kagome sniffed.

"Really?" she asked in a small voice. I pulled away so I could look into her eyes. "Of course not," I replied. "And…I'm sorry, too."

"It's okay," she said. I reached out to wipe the rest of the tears off her face. She laughed quietly. "So much for not crying," she joked. I shrugged playfully.

"Eighteen is the new fifteen, I guess." Kagome laughed again gently swatted me. "Soon to be nineteen," she replied. "We'll see how it goes then." I joined her in laughter, and it felt nice to be at least a little more at ease with each other.

"Listen to me for a minute," I said as I grew serious. "Kikyo came back again and things are crazy and annoying and a little scary," I began. Kagome nodded.

"The only thing that makes sense anymore, at least to me, is how I feel about you," I continued. "If nothing else, at least I know that." Kagome tried to smile.

"Me, too," she replied. Her smile waned a bit. "And I don't want to have to tiptoe around each other about this Kikyo fiasco," she said. "I just…I like you too much for that." I chuckled and shook my head as we entered a quiet moment.

The sadness in Kagome's eyes began to fade as she laid her head on my chest again and I held her close.

In that moment, I knew that we would be okay. The world might go bad, but we were in this together.

As we sat there, I tried to think of something to make Kagome feel better. I considered proposing right then, but figured it was best to wait on that. We had too much to think about.

A moment later, an idea came to me.

"You know what I think we should do?" I asked. Kagome looked surprised. "What?" she replied. I rose and pulled her up next to me.

"We should go somewhere," I said. Kagome's expression held confusion. "Like where?" she asked. I started walking back to the village with my hand firmly around hers.

"Let's go to the beach," I suggested. "You like the beach, right?" Kagome laughed.

"Yes, I do," she replied. "But why would we go now?" I shrugged. "I think it would be nice to just get out of the village for a few days. Maybe Kikyo will have cooled off a little by then." Kagome smiled.

"That sounds like a great idea," she replied. The light in her eyes shone especially bright, and I smiled back at her. "Then let's leave tomorrow," I said.

To be continued…

I'm going to put the next chapter up ASAP because I know that this isn't the best spot to end. I needed to make a good transition to Kagome's perspective, so this is where I decided to leave off!

Much love. :)


	12. The Beach

One more chapter for today! This is another one of my favorites, and it adds a little comedic relief that's been absent in the last couple of chapters. Enjoy. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 12: The Beach

I felt so guilty about going to the well. I also was a little mad that Inuyasha thought that I was just going to leave him. Even though I was annoyed, I knew that I just needed to move past it. We'd both done enough apologizing to last us the rest of the year.

When Inuyasha suggested going to the beach, I knew that he wanted us to get away from all of the mess with Kikyo for a while.

"We can figure things out when we get home," he had said as we walked back to the village.

That night, we went to my house to get some stuff together for our trip.

I pulled out my yellow backpack and looked through it for stuff we might need. As I rummaged through the remaining contents, I saw that in my haste to get back here, I'd grabbed stuff we didn't even need anymore. It seemed like we'd outgrown everything we used to need for our travels.

Inuyasha came over and looked at some of stuff I'd laid next to the backpack. "Why did you even bother bringing this stuff?" he asked. I shrugged. "I brought some medicine and other kinds of bandages for Kaede to use," I replied. I had also brought tampons, but I decided it was best to keep those hidden.

My backpack was pretty much empty aside from the feminine products, a few bras and extra pairs of underwear, and several types of bandages.

I checked the front pocket of my backpack and heard a rustling, crinkle-like noise. I frowned. I didn't think I'd grabbed anything that would make a noise like that. When I opened the pocket, I heard Inuyasha gasp.

"You brought ninja food?!" he cried. I looked at the old pack of ramen and snack-size bag of chips. Okay, I had definitely not put those in there before I left.

And, like I'd imagined, the expiration date on both of them was labeled from two years ago. They'd gone stale in my backpack, and I didn't even want to think about what they would smell like, let alone taste like.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, had his eyes glued to the snacks. "Can you make the ninja food before we go?" he asked excitedly. I rolled my eyes. "Inuyasha, this stuff has gone bad," I replied. "It's expired, which means it's not good. It's rotten." Inuyasha just looked at me.

"What's your point?" he asked in all seriousness. I made a face. "You actually want to eat this?" I asked. Inuyasha nodded without hesitation. I shook my head. "When you get sick, I don't want to hear any complaining," I warned.

Inuyasha scoffed as he grabbed a pot by the wood-burning stove. "Yokai don't get sick," he countered. I rolled my eyes and almost pointed out that he was only half-yokai, but he was so intent on getting the water boiled as quickly as he could that I knew he wouldn't pay attention to anything I said. At least, not until the ramen was ready.

I took over once the water was boiling, but Inuyasha stayed close by as I poured the water into the cup and stirred the noodles. From what I could tell, they didn't look or smell expired, but I guess Inuyasha would be the one to find out.

"Quit hovering," I scolded. Inuyasha stepped back a centimeter, but barely a second later he was right back. Luckily, the noodles were cooked soon after.

"Alright," I said as I handed him the cup. "Uh, enjoy, I guess." I was still pretty grossed out. Inuyasha glanced at me before he began eating. "Do you want some?" he asked. I shook my head. "No way," I replied. Inuyasha shrugged and took a sip.

The only reaction I saw from him was a look of pure joy on his face. "I missed these so much," he exclaimed. He eyed me as he took another sip. "You know," he continued, "not as much as you, but pretty close." I just laughed.

"It doesn't taste gross?" I asked. Inuyasha shook his head. "It tastes fine," he replied. I wasn't convinced. "Can I try it?" I asked. Inuyasha handed me the cup and I took a sip.

I immediately spit it back out. I tried to angle away from the soup, so the noodles landed in the pot that had the boiled water in it.

"What the heck is wrong with you?" Inuyasha asked as he took the cup back. "Don't waste it." I looked up at him and grabbed the cup out of his hand. "Inuyasha, those have gone bad," I said. "That doesn't taste gross to you?" Inuyasha shook his head and tried to take the soup back.

"No," he replied adamantly. "They taste different, but not gross." I rolled my eyes and poured the now contaminated with rancid noodles water onto the fire so it would burn out. "Whatever," I said. "When you get sick, don't complain to me." Inuyasha took another sip. "I already told you," he replied. "I'm not gonna get sick."

"I'm going to pack some real food," I said. Inuyasha just kept sipping his expired soup happily. It was moments like this that I question why I loved him, but then he tossed the cup into the waning fire and smiled at me. "You're the best," he said sincerely.

Oh, yeah. That's why I loved him.

He got up and came over to peer in my backpack. "You don't need to bring any food," he said. "We can just pick fruit or something off a tree." I paused. I was so used to packing food back in the future, and I forgot how convenient it was to just pull an apple off a tree.  
"Man," I murmured. "I've forgotten a lot of stuff."

I saw the other expired "ninja food" snack and held it up. "Do you want these, too?" I asked jokingly. Inuyasha looked at me in all seriousness. "Do you even have to ask?" he replied as he took the bag from me. "Wait," he said as he handed it back to me. "I forget how to open it." I tried to keep a straight face. It seems I wasn't the only one that had forgotten stuff.

Once Inuyasha was happily munching on his expired chips, he nudged me. "Can we go now?" he asked. I left my backpack on the floor and Inuyasha and I headed out the door.

Soon after that, we were on our way to the beach.

Inuyasha insisted on carrying me for most of the way, and when he started running, I felt a big wave of nostalgia.

"I'm so excited!" I cried. "Do you remember the last time we all came to the beach?" Inuyasha was quiet for a moment before he glanced back at me. "No," he replied. I rested my chin on his shoulder. "Really?" I asked. Inuyasha shook his head, but soon he started to nod.

"Oh, wait," he said. "Yeah, I definitely remember that." He glanced back at me again. "You threw a stick and tried to play fetch with me." I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

I could practically _hear_ Inuyasha roll his eyes. "You done?" he asked. He actually sounded…sort of mad. I tried to hide my smile as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Come on," I said. "You know I'm just teasing you. I didn't mean anything by it." Inuyasha just huffed.

If he was mad, he was about to get over it.

I leaned forward on his back so I could plop a kiss on his lips.

As quickly as I reached his mouth, the kiss ended with us falling into a heap on the ground. I burst into a fit of giggles as Inuyasha rolled over next to me. "Don't distract me like that when I'm running," he said. Just like I thought, he wasn't mad anymore; he had a smile on his face. He leaned up on one of his elbows so he was looking over me.

"I distract you that much?" I asked. I was trying to sound flirtatious, but it came out as genuine surprise. Inuyasha blushed. He must not have realized how sincere he sounded.

I put my arms around his neck and plopped a kiss on his cheek. "It's okay," I replied. "You distract me, too." Inuyasha's smile returned and he ran his hand along one of my arms.

"I distract you?" he repeated. I nodded. His smile turned mischievous. "How?" he asked. Now he was the one sounding flirtatious. I tightened my arms around him and pulled his head down.

"Like this," I said before I met him in a kiss.

When we were finally able to stop kissing long enough to form a coherent thought, Inuyasha stood up and took my hand. He gently pulled me up next to him and I playfully swatted his chest. "At this rate, we'll never get to the beach," I said. Inuyasha shrugged. "I'm fine right here," he replied. I laughed again and pulled him along.

Inuyasha asked me if I wanted him to carry me again, but we were only about a mile away and I couldn't smell the ocean air when he was running. Instead, I took to holding his hand as we walked side-by-side. Eventually, we made it to the shoreline. I let go of Inuyasha's hand and ran through the sand.

"It's beautiful!" I said as we looked at the waves. "Let's go swimming!" Inuyasha chuckled.

"You're gonna swim in your Miko garb?" he asked. I rolled my eyes. "Of course not, baka," I said as I started undressing. Inuyasha quickly shielded his eyes.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he looked away from me. My fingers paused before I could take my robes all the way off. "I'm taking my garb off," I replied. Inuyasha huffed. "Well, duh," he said. "But aren't you going to be…I mean, you won't be wearing any…"

"Inuyasha, I'm wearing stuff under my clothes," I replied. I figured my bra and underwear would count as a bathing suit.

Inuyasha carefully turned my way and relaxed when he saw that I hadn't completely removed my robes.

"Oh, okay," he said. I peered at him. "Are you done freaking out now?" I asked. Inuyasha blushed. "I just didn't want you to think that I was…" he trailed off. I smiled. "A letch?" I suggested. Inuyasha grimaced. "Yeah," he replied.

I laughed. "I appreciate your concern," I began, "but I wouldn't make you feel uncomfortable like that." I thought for a moment. "Actually, I wouldn't do that to myself either." I finally saw his frown start to turn up.

"Thank you," I said. "You're such a gentleman." Inuyasha scoffed. I laughed again started to finish taking off my clothes. Once I was ready, I ran into the water and dove in.

When I came back up for a breath, I saw Inuyasha remove the top part of his haori and fundoshi and follow me into the water. Once he was a few feet away from me, he suddenly jumped up and cannonballed so I was splashed by a huge wave of water.

When he didn't pop up after a few moments, I started to get worried. Before I could go into full panic mode, Inuyasha suddenly burst out of the water and grabbed me. I screamed at first, but it soon turned to peals of laughter.

We swam through the water together for a long time. There were moments where we would compete to see who could hold their breath the longest (Inuyasha won every time) and there were some moments when we just floated on our backs in the water. Sometimes we talked; sometimes we just enjoyed the comfortable silence.

When the sun started to set, we got out of the water to dry off. Inuyasha found some apples and I slipped on my white robe. After we'd eaten, we lay down on the sand to watch as the sky turned pink and the sun receded lower and lower in the horizon.

As the beach around us got darker, we started talking about our travels from when we were hunting for the jewel. I asked Inuyasha what the worst part about travelling was. As soon as I brought it up, he rolled his eyes.

"Having to put up with you humans sucked," Inuyasha said. "And pesky Shippo. I was always fine with Kirara." I laughed and curled into him. "Well, I couldn't stand it when you called me 'wench.'" I replied. Inuyasha looked at me in surprise.

"I thought you liked that!" he protested. I rolled my eyes. "Not saying anything to you when you said it doesn't mean that I liked it," I retorted.

"Okay, well I couldn't stand when you complained about everything," Inuyasha shot back. "It was always too cold, too far, or too much time away from your studies." I just looked up at him and laughed quietly.

"That sounds about right," I finally said. Inuyasha sighed and turned his gaze to the sky.

"I don't like how I tried to cover up how I felt about you by being brusque and mean," he admitted a moment later. "I also don't like that I didn't kiss you sooner than in the Meido." I laughed.

"Well, I don't like that you didn't kiss me sooner either," I replied. I felt my smile fade. "I don't like that I wasn't more understanding of your past with Kikyo. I don't like that I got mad at you for things you couldn't help." I didn't really think about it when I brought up Kikyo. I thought it might add tension in the air, but Inuyasha's arms only tightened around me in nothing less than understanding.

"You know what?" Inuyasha asked. I ran my hand over his bare chest. "What?" I replied. "I would go through every single one of those things all over again," he said, "if it meant we could end up right here." I smiled and rested my head on his chest. "Me, too," I agreed.

I sighed happily. "Thank you," I said. "I'm really happy that we came." Inuyasha kissed the top of my head. "Me, too," he replied.

With a happy state of mind, we both stood up and put the rest of our clothes on. I tried to stifle a yawn; I was beat.

"Are we going home tonight?" I asked. Inuyasha looked up at me. "Are you sure you want to go all the way home right now?" he asked. "I figured you'd be too tired to travel the whole way. Do you want me to find a good tree we can sleep in?" I laughed and sat back down beside him.

"Inuyasha, I thought you loved me," I said, feigning offended shock. "And yet you're going to make me sleep in a tree?" Inuyasha grinned. "It works for me every night," he replied. I immediately lost my humorous mood.

"You sleep in a tree every night?" I asked seriously. Inuyasha looked surprised at my sudden change in demeanor. He nodded. "Yeah," he replied. "What's the big deal?" I couldn't believe he was still sleeping in a tree.

"I thought you were sleeping in Kaede's house," I said. "You slept there the first night I got back." Inuyasha tried to smile. "I slept there because you were already asleep at Goshinboku and I didn't want to leave you," he explained. "And anyway, I don't mind sleeping in the trees."

I took his hand and looked at him seriously. "I want you to stay at my house," I said. "You can sleep on the extra futon." Inuyasha shook his head. "No," he replied. I rolled my eyes.

"Why not?" I asked exasperatedly. Inuyasha looked irritated. "I don't want people to talk," he explained. I was taken aback.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Inuyasha sighed and took my hand. "You and I know that I'd be sleeping on the extra futon, but some people might think otherwise." It finally clicked.

"Oh," I said. "You don't want people to think we're…" Inuyasha looked a little embarrassed. "Yeah," he confirmed. "We aren't married, so if they think you and I are…intimate, then they wouldn't take you seriously as a Miko." I mulled over his words for a moment.

"You're right," I replied. "But I feel bad that you have to sleep in the tree." He was so thoughtful. The fact that people might talk hadn't even crossed my mind. Inuyasha shook his head. "Don't worry about it," he said as he finally stood up.

"We can go home tonight," Inuyasha said as he kneeled down for me to climb on his back. As soon as I had a good grip on him, he took off running in the direction of our village.

I lay my head against Inuyasha's back as we made our way home. He was so different from the boy I had met all those years ago. He'd become a kind, considerate man that was incredibly thoughtful.

My heart was full of love for him, but there was also a little sadness. We were home, which meant that we were back in the line of fire with Kikyo. I started worrying about everything all over again.

"Can we go to Goshinboku for a little while?" I asked when our surroundings became familiar. Inuyasha nodded and started to move a little faster.

We'd been alone all day, but I wasn't quite ready to part with him. I had some things to say.

To be continued…

I wanted to give Kagome and Inuyasha a little peace before the storm, and that's when I came up with this chapter. I hope you all love it as much as I do.

Much love. :)


	13. A Troubled Soul's Rage

After seeing the reviews left after the last chapter, I realized that maybe I've been super unclear about the whole secret thing.

Inuyasha's secret was that Kikyo had returned and wanted him to go with her instead of waiting for Kagome. Him proposing is not the secret.

Sorry that this wasn't as clear as I'd hoped it'd be. I thought I'd sort of explained it in the author's note from Chapter 10 when the "secret" was revealed, but looking back I realize it may not have been as good of an explanation as I could've offered.

So sorry about that, my loves! I do hope you'll continue reading. :)

One last thing: To Gin (kokoronagomu), I'm a History major, so I love looking at the different cultural norms from this era, and I've especially tried to find different ways to keep up the historical accuracy. Thanks for those sites; I'm excited to go through them.

And to address the house where Kagome is living: Inuyasha didn't build it. I thought that I'd mentioned it in one of the earlier chapters, but it's possible that it may have been deleted during the editing process or by an error in how I transferred everything to this website. I'll go back in and add that, so thanks! Basically, the house is one on the edge of the village that Kaede said Kagome could live in. Inuyasha didn't build it; it was already there. Kagome is the sole owner/resident of the house for now. And I don't want to give away anything that will happen, but I will say that you're very shrewd...I guess you'll have to read on. :)

Alright, lovely readers. Sorry again for any confusion. I hope you're still enjoying!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 13: A Troubled Soul's Rage

The beach was absolutely perfect. We'd had a great time, and I knew that Kagome needed a break from everything.

I also knew that our return to the village meant our return to all of the problems we'd decided to put to the side.

It also meant me returning to my slumber in the trees, which apparently Kagome hated. Even though she didn't like it and there were times when I had to admit that I _was_ too uncomfortable to sleep, I wasn't about to put Kagome in that position. I didn't want her to been seen as an impure Miko that was sleeping with a hanyo out of wedlock.

After the peacefulness of our day, it felt only right to end the night under Goshinboku.

Once we got to the tree, I leaned back against the trunk expecting Kagome to follow suit, but she stayed sitting upright. Something was bothering her.

"You okay?" I asked. Kagome was quiet. "I was just thinking about some stuff," she replied. "About us." I frowned.

Her wanting to discuss "stuff about us" didn't seem like a positive thing, especially since her face was devoid of a smile and her eyes wouldn't meet mine.

"Are you unhappy?" I asked. Kagome shook her head. "No, it's not that all," she replied. "It's just…you said that you didn't want to sleep at my house because people might talk about an unmarried Miko engaging in certain…activities." I nodded in confirmation.

"Well, I don't want people talking about untrue stuff either," Kagome continued. "But…it wouldn't matter if you slept at my house if we were…you know…married…?"

So that's what it was: she was embarrassed to bring this up. It almost seems like she thought I would reject her. As if that was humanly possible.

That's when I finally smiled. "I've been thinking about that, too," I replied. Kagome's eyes brightened. "Really?"

I nodded. "Of course," I said. "Even before the well closed." Kagome looked surprised.

"You must be a mind-reader," I said. "Because, well…" Finally, I just had to put it out there and ask her. This was the moment.

"I love you," I told her simply. "And I've been wanting to ask you this for what feels like forever. I'm sorry it took me so long to finally do it." Kagome smiled, and I knew that she was fully aware of what I was about to ask her.

"Kagome," I began. "Will you…"

The _marry me_ was drowned out by another voice.

"I warned you," Kikyo said from behind us. Kagome and I both stood up and before either of us could further react, Kikyo grabbed Kagome and disappeared.

"Kagome!" I yelled. "Kikyo!" I took a deep breath and caught both of their scents heading toward a place I'd come to dread.

The Bone-Eater's Well.

I found the two of them standing in front of it, and I saw how tight Kikyo's hold was on Kagome.

"Kikyo," I shouted. "What do you want?" Kikyo frowned. "Inuyasha, you know what I want," she replied. "You." She turned her gaze to Kagome. "She is in the way." Kikyo turned back to me and my eyes widened. Suddenly, she moved.

Kikyo let go of Kagome and pushed her backward into the well. "Inuyasha!" Kagome cried my name and I ran to catch her. I grabbed at her hand but at the last second, she slipped out of my grasp and went tumbling into the well.

" _Kagome!_ " I shouted her name into the dark well and heard no response. "No!" I yelled down the well. _What if it closes again?_ I thought to myself. Anger flashed through me and I whirled around to face Kikyo.

"Why?" I shouted angrily. "Why would you do that?" Kikyo's eyes looked surprisingly sad for someone that had just thrown a girl down a well.

"You know why, Inuyasha," she replied. "I don't want you to get hurt, but this is how it has to happen." She moved closer to me and reached out her hand to touch me. "You and I can finally be together," she said. I moved away from her.

"No, Kikyo," I replied. "I've already told you this. Look, I'm sorry that things turned out really crappy for you, but I love Kagome. Even if Kagome never comes back, I would still feel the same way." I raised Tessaiga and felt it energy pulsing.

"Leave," I said, my voice dripping with anger.

Kikyo's face filled with disgust. "You're just as daft as the last time we spoke," she said. "Kagome is gone now, Inuyasha. It's just you and me."

In the blink of an eye, Kikyo had loaded three arrows onto her bow and shot them at me.

I cried out in pain when they pierced my chest, and I was filled with surprise at how much they hurt. "What did you put on…those arrows?" I asked as my body became racked with pain.

"Poison," she replied. "You will die, Inuyasha, and I'll be right here to take you with me to the afterlife. Then we'll be together."

"No," I said weakly. "This…can't…be happening." I fell to the ground and Kikyo leaned down beside me.

"But, Inuyasha," she murmured. "It is."

 _To be continued…_

Oh no! Not the well!

For 00nighthowler00, I know you wanted a proposal in this chapter, but oops…looks like I ruined it…;)

Buuuut good things come to those that wait, right? I _promise_ you won't be disappointed when the time comes.

Much love. :)


	14. Kagome's Revelation

I decided to go ahead and get this next chapter up. I don't like the idea of leaving you guys on a cliff-hanger, and also this is a really important chapter so here we go!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 14: Kagome's Realization

I fell hard into the well.

As I saw Inuyasha's hand slip out of mine, I felt the searing loss of him all over again. I hadn't tried going through the well since I'd returned, and I didn't know if I would be able to get back after reaching the other side.

I closed my eyes as I hit the ground. I just sat there for a moment as I tried to regain my composure. _Inuyasha,_ I thought to myself. Tears fell from my eyes as I questioned if I'd be able to get back or if Kikyo would succeed in killing Inuyasha. Then a beautiful sound came from above the well.

It was Inuyasha's voice. The well hadn't worked and he was still alive.

His voice began to rise into a yell as I quickly began to climb up out of the well.

A sudden cry of pain came from Inuyasha, and I froze in terror of what might have happened to him. I heard Kikyo say one word and that was all I needed to hear to kick me back into gear:

"Poison."

I climbed as fast as I could out of the well. The first thing I saw was Inuyasha lying on the ground with several arrows sticking out of his chest as Kikyo leaned down to touch him.

"Get away from him!" I shouted as I jumped out of the well. "Kagome," Inuyasha said weakly.

I ran over to where Kikyo was standing over Inuyasha and tackled her to the ground. We landed several feet away from Inuyasha and I heard her gasp as the tumble knocked the wind out of her.

I jumped off of Kikyo and ran over to where Inuyasha was lying. "Inuyasha!" I said. He groaned as I touched him. "Oh, no," I said as I looked at the wound.

The entry wounds of the arrows had turned red and appeared more like blisters rather than blood. "It's poison," I said, repeating Kikyo's words. Inuyasha nodded, grimacing. "I'm…not gonna…make it," he said in a pained whisper. I shook my head. "No, baby, don't say that," I replied. I tried to smile. "I'll purify the poison." I had just moved my hand to touch his wounds when I heard the familiar noise of an arrow being loaded on a bow.

When I lifted my head up, Kikyo had her aim set on me. "You're going to wish you'd never come back to this time," she shouted. I jumped out of the way barely in time to miss her shot. Kikyo rapidly loaded another arrow, but this time I was ready.

I quickly loaded my own bow aimed it at her.

With both of our weapons pointed on each other, we met eyes.

"You won't kill me," she said coolly. I kept my aim on her and didn't let my guard down. "What makes you think that?" I asked. She looked over at Inuyasha.

"If you kill me, Inuyasha will never see you the same," she said. I hesitated as she spoke again.

"If I were to die by the hands of you, then it will haunt him forever," she continued. "He would never be able to look at you without picturing my death." I thought about her words for a moment, wondering if it was possible for them to be true.

Kikyo's eyes were hard on me. "You know I'm right," she said. I finally lowered the bow and processed what she was saying. "Just leave," I finally said with defeat evident in my voice.

"Don't get comfortable," she said. "I'll be back." She turned around and began to walk away.

Then she was gone.

My heart was still racing from Kikyo's words as I turned to Inuyasha. I ran over to him and knelt down. His eyes were closed, but he was alive. One by one, I touched all the arrows as quickly as I could. They dissolved in my fingers, and I was reminded of when I unsealed Inuyasha from the tree when we first met.

"Inuyasha?" I said. His eyes opened and they moved to look into mine, but he appeared unable to speak. "It'll be okay," I said. I leaned down and got to work on purifying the wounds the arrows had left.

Slowly, Inuyasha began to move again. His fingers twitched and he was able to breathe freely. When I had done all that I could, I helped him to sit up. His gaze met mine and I couldn't read his expression. Before I could even ask if he was okay, Inuyasha spoke.

"Why didn't you kill her?" he asked. I looked away from him. "I couldn't," I replied. "Kagome," he said seriously. "What she said isn't true." I shook my head at him and looked up.

"Yeah, it is," I replied. "You would never be able to separate that moment from me. And even if you could, that memory will still be with _me_. _I'll_ have to deal with it." I sighed.

"I can't kill her," I continued. "Not just because of you. I can't kill her because I understand her. I know what it's like to love you. I know what it's like to hurt in the same way because I used to be in her position. There was a time when I couldn't have you in the way I wanted. I've been exactly where she is, so I understand that her actions are the way they are because of pain. They may be the worst actions she could take, but I still understand." I turned away from Inuyasha again. "That's why I couldn't kill her."

Inuyasha didn't say anything for a minute. Finally, he sighed and spoke. "Kagome," he said. "You don't have to kill Kikyo. We can just…figure out another way to end all of this." He put his hand under my chin and gently lifted my face so I was looking at him.

" _Kagome_ ," he continued seriously. "Don't worry. We'll figure out how to stop her." I nodded, still a little shaken. Inuyasha stood up and reached out his hand. Once I was upright next to him, we began to walk back to the village.

When we reached my house, Inuyasha kissed my cheek and told me good night.

I watched him as he walked away, and it wasn't until his form had faded into the darkness that I remembered he'd been about to propose before Kikyo appeared.

I heaved a sigh as I walked into my house. It seemed like that would have to wait.

To be continued…

Aren't you happy I didn't leave you hanging on that last chapter? :)

I'll post more soon!

Much love. :)


	15. Solution

You guys kill me xD

So, Gin, yes, I did mean the hakama…Inuyasha was not naked at the beach! Bless your soul for fixing my vocab. I mixed those two up *blushes*

I'm gonna go ahead and post the next few chapters now because they all sort of domino off of each other. Posting them one, or even two, at a time will just be super tedious and I want you all to enjoy it.

So. I'm playing a game called how many chapters can I edit and post in one night.

Ready, set, go.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 15: Solution

I had to admit that I was a little wigged out by what happened with Kagome today. She told me that she couldn't kill Kikyo because she understood the pain she was feeling. Only one thought radiated through my head: _Had I really hurt Kagome that much?_

The question haunted me as I tried to fall asleep that night. It took me losing her for three years to make me realize how badly I'd treated her. I'd taken her for granted and I didn't try to stop until it was too late. It took me so long to admit how much I loved her, and even when I did, I didn't tell her until after she'd returned.

I slipped into a restless sleep. When I woke up the next morning, I wondered what I should do.

Proposing to her obviously had to wait. Kagome seemed so confused and upset last night that I didn't even try to talk about an engagement as I walked her home.

I laid in the tree for a little while longer and then I headed to Kaede's house.

"Kaede?" I called as I walked through the door. "Hello, Inuyasha," she replied. Kaede was leaning over a pot and stirring the contents. "Would ye like something to eat?" she asked. I shook my head. "No," I replied. "But I do need to ask you something."

Kaede put down her spoon and sat on her mat. "What can I help ye with?" she asked. I sat down and began to talk.

I told her everything that had happened last night with Kikyo and how Kagome hadn't been able to kill her. When I finished talking, Kaede was quiet for a moment. I suddenly realized that I'd never told Kaede, Kikyo's own sister, that Kikyo was alive.

"Kaede," I said. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about Kikyo." Kaede smiled. "No, do not apologize," she replied. "Kikyo visited me on the occasion that you saw her as well." My eyes widened. "Really?" I asked in shock. Kaede nodded.

"Yes," Kaede said. "She seemed unsettled and didn't say much of anything. It was as if she was afraid of something. She said that she had spoken to ye and that she needed to take ye back with her. Where 'back' was, I do not know."

"The afterlife," I replied. "She said it last night." Kaede shook her head sadly. "That's what I had feared," she said. "For some reason, the peace that Kikyo was given when Naraku's miasma finally overtook her appears to have been fleeting. It seems that Kikyo will never be able to find peace."

I sighed. "Despite what's happened, I want her to find peace. I really do want to help her, but with all the crap she's doing, I don't think I'll be able to." Kaede nodded.

"My sister is not herself anymore," she replied. "I believe that the part of her that longs for you is all that is left. It would be best for you to end her suffering." My eyes widened.

"Are you saying I should kill Kikyo?" I asked. Kaede hesitated. "It pains me say this," she replied, "but she must be banished."

My brain clicked her words into place. "You mean the Meido Zangetsuha?"

Kaede paused and after a moment, she nodded. "It saddens me, but I fear there is no other way. The being we call currently call Kikyo is not my sister." I closed my eyes as I took in her words. "I guess you're right," I said. I opened my eyes again and stood up.

"I'll go talk to Kagome and tell her about this," I said. "She needs to know." Kaede nodded. "I agree," she replied. I nodded at Kaede and left the house.

As I walked to Kagome's house, anxiety began to fill me. I couldn't believe I was going to do this.

To be continued…

Much love. :)


	16. Love Over Pain

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 16: Love Over Pain

My dreams were filled with conflicting emotions. Despite what Inuyasha said last night, I was still unsettled.

I'd had her. I was so close to being able to kill Kikyo. Didn't I want to? She'd tried to kill me and Inuyasha countless times. But I still couldn't end her life. It just seemed…wrong. If someone killed me because I loved Inuyasha, even if I went about it in the wrong way, it would still be just as bad as this.

As I lay on my mat, I tried to push the thoughts out of my head and sleep. Luckily, I was so exhausted that it came easily.

The next morning, however, wasn't that easy.

When I woke up, I was immediately filled with the same uneasiness from last night. The first thing on my mind was the confrontation with Kikyo, but the second thing was what Inuyasha and I had been talking about before she'd snuck up on us.

He'd been about to propose.

I'd been so embarrassed when I brought marriage up, but that all faded after Inuyasha said he'd been thinking about it, too. After what happened last night, who knows when we'll actually be able to finish that conversation?

As I replayed the moment, I wrapped my blanket around me like a cocoon. Maybe I would just stay under here all day.

"Kagome?" his voice softly called my name.

"I'm here," I said from my blanket-nest. I didn't peek out at him; I was too miserable.

I heard his footsteps as he made his way into my house, and soon enough I felt him lay down beside me and pull me into his arms. We were quiet for a few moments, but I knew we needed to talk.

"Yesterday was pretty crazy," I said as I poked my head out of my blanket. I was trying to be light-hearted, but I didn't exactly feel all that jovial.

"Yeah, but at least no one got poisoned too bad," Inuyasha joked back. I couldn't help but laugh as I cuddled against him.

"But we should probably stay away from the well," Inuyasha teased. "I don't want you to get thrown into it again. How am I supposed to keep you out of trouble if you're in a different time period?" Inuyasha chuckled and I smiled.

Then I remembered something. "Wait, Inuyasha," I said. "The well didn't let me through last night."

His eyes widened. "Oh, yeah," he replied. "Then I guess it doesn't work anymore?" I paused. "No," I replied.

For some strange reason, I felt tears in my eyes. I held them back and looked at Inuyasha. I tried to smile. "Looks like you're stuck with me," I said. Inuyasha chuckled. "How unfortunate," he joked.

After a moment, he grew serious. "I guess we never talked about if the well would still work or not," he said. I shook my head.

"No," I replied. "I knew that I wanted to permanently live on this side, but I never thought about visiting. When I left, I said goodbye to my family for what I'd figured was forever. I guess I never realized that it actually _would_ be forever." Inuyasha took my hand.

"Does it bother you?" he asked. I thought for a moment. "No," I replied. Somehow, I found that my words were true. "To be honest, when I came back, I don't think I'd ever really planned on trying to go back through the well even to visit. I'd be devastated if I tried going back once and wound up not being able to return here. I want to be with you. I need to be here. Luckily, my family understood that."

Inuyasha held me close for a moment, but he soon let go. "There is something we need to talk about, though," he said. His light tone had turned heavy. "Kaede told me what we need to do about Kikyo."

As Inuyasha explained everything to me, I was shocked that Kaede had told him all of this. "So you have to use the Meido Zangetsuha on her?" I asked when Inuyasha finished. He nodded and I felt a heaviness settle in me.

"This is what needs to happen," he replied. "Kaede hates it and so do I, but there's nothing else we can do."

I sighed and sat up. "I can't believe how crazy this all is." Inuyasha rolled onto his back and looked up at me. "Yeah," he agreed. We were quiet for a moment, but then Inuyasha sat up and took my hand.

"Remember what we were talking about last night before Kikyo showed up?" he asked. I nodded.

"Of course," I replied. Inuyasha met my eyes and frowned.

"I want you to know that I think about the future," he said. "I think about it a lot."

I smiled. "Am I in it?" I teased. Inuyasha didn't smile back.

"Kagome," he said seriously. "You _are_ it." My eyes widened.

Inuyasha sighed. "I know we have the same mindset on everything," he continued. "But I think there are some things that we need to hold off on for right now." I was saddened by that, but I understood.

"You're right," I replied. "But once this dies down…?"

Inuyasha finally smiled. "I'll finish that proposal, but I'll actually do it right." I laughed as he leaned in to kiss me.

We went over to Kaede's house soon after to discuss everything Inuyasha had told me in further detail. Seeing Kaede have to listen and go through this made my heart ache for her.

Miroku and Sango's family all came over that afternoon, and Inuyasha and I filled them in on what was happening.

"Kikyo's back again?" Sango had asked. With a somber nod from Inuyasha, Sango shook her head. "Poor Kikyo," she said. "I can't imagine."

We had a quiet evening, and then everyone dispersed.

Before Inuyasha and I left Kaede's house, I went over and hugged her. Kaede hugged me back tightly, and I knew she could understand what I was trying to convey.

Inuyasha walked me home after we left Kaede's house, and neither of us said much.

When we reached my house, instead of kissing him good night, I took his hand and just looked up at him.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" I asked. Inuyasha hesitated. "I don't…" I cut him off with a wave of my hand. "I don't care what anyone says. What we do or don't do is between you and I. Besides, no one is around to see anything." Inuyasha looked at me wearily, but he finally nodded and I led him inside.

I kept a hold of his hand and led him right past the extra futon. I knew that Inuyasha and I had both somewhat silently decided to wait to be intimate until we were married because of the whole Miko thing, but I still wanted to feel him beside me. I could tell that that Inuyasha was thinking the same thing.

Once we were laying down and Inuyasha had his arms around me, I spoke.

"Are you nervous about all of this?" I asked quietly. Inuyasha sighed. "I don't really know how I'm feeling," he replied.

I leaned my head back a little to look at him. "I'm sorry," I said. He held me closer and smiled. "Why are you apologizing now?" he teased. I didn't return the joking tone.

"I just know how hard this all must be for you," I said. Inuyasha shook his head. "The only thing that could be hard for me anymore is losing you and that's what could happen if we don't do this," he said.

I sighed and nuzzled my face into his neck. My fingers gently ran across his chest and touched the beads that he'd been wearing four years. As I fingered them, I realized that Inuyasha had literally been wearing these beads for four years.

"Hey," I said a second later. I lifted my head up to meet Inuyasha's gaze. "What?" he asked. I touched the beads again. "You still have these on," I said. He nodded. "Yeah," he replied with a smirk. "I noticed." I rolled my eyes.

"You don't need them anymore," I said. "Don't you want me to take them off of you?" Inuyasha feigned a look of surprise.

"You're asking if I want you to take the beads of subjugation, which have caused me great stress and pain ever since we met, off?" I searched his face as I noted the sarcasm in his voice.

"Yes," I replied seriously. He chuckled. "Honestly, no," he said. My eyes widened. "What?" I asked in surprise. "Why not?" Inuyasha shrugged.

"I know it's stupid, but while you were gone, they were one of my few connections to you. Only you could make them work and only you could take them off." He put his hand over mine so we were both touching the beads.

"You and I both know I'm not going to destroy the village now so it would make sense to take them off," he continued. "But…I don't want to." He shrugged. "I never thought I'd say that, but it's true."

Inuyasha's sincere expression kept me silent. The look in his eyes conveyed how much those stupid beads had come to mean to him. I could feel our quiet understanding of each other's pain become even more evident, and I knew our thoughts were the same.

I smiled and shook my head. "Since when did you become so mushy?" I asked. Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Shut up," he said. Despite his attempts at being serious, he was smiling.

"Kagome," he began, "you should know what you do to me by now." I laughed and kissed him.

To be continued…

Another thing I haven't talked about is the well. To me, I always had the impression that when it opened after the three-year separation, it was done. Once Kagome went through, I assumed that it was sealed forever. As time has gone on, I've still stuck with this mentality just because during the separation, although Kagome and Inuyasha missed each other terribly, they didn't _really_ want the well to work because they were worried about each other/Kagome's family. The subject of the well is discussed in a _lot_ more detail in a later chapter, and it brings up the whole thing about it not working during the three years. All will be explained!

Also, I kinda quoted a scene from _Friends_ in this chapter. When Kagome asks Inuyasha if she's in his future and he answers that she _is_ his future, all I could see were Monica and Richard lol. But come on, "future" stuff _always_ works with Inuyasha.

Much love. :)


	17. Remembering His Mother

I LOVE this chapter. I originally had it as a one-shot, but I decided soon after I wrote it several months ago that it belonged in OOT. It's one of my favs.

Also, I had a hard time trying to find an un-confusing way to include the quotations within quotations (does that even make sense?) for this chapter. I did the usual thing that's used for papers and stuff, but it looked weird to me so I put the quotes within the quotes in _italics_. Here's hoping that made sense!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 17: Remembering His Mother

Despite the reservations I had about sleeping in Kagome's house, I found that I just didn't care. Before I walked in, I couldn't help but glance around at the other houses. I didn't see anyone outside, so at least I had that peace of mind.

As we lay down, Kagome and I just talked. I was embarrassed about those beads, but one look at how much my words meant to Kagome cancelled out any feelings except for happiness.

"I have a question," Kagome said. Her soft voice was muffled from where she'd nuzzled her head into my haori. I rubbed my hand up and down her back as she got comfortable against me.

"What?" I replied against her hair. She yawned. "What's your favorite memory?" she asked. I was surprised by the question. "That's easy," I replied, unable to suppress a grin. "Any memory with you." Kagome laughed quietly and I knew she was blushing.

"Okay, then what about _before_ we met?" she asked. My grin disappeared.

I remembered my life without Kagome as darkness. It was as if the time between my mother's death and meeting Kagome was nothing more than a sad way to pass the time. A lot of hurt here, a betrayal there, and nothing ever seemed like enough…until Kagome.

"Then I guess before you, all of my favorite memories are with my mother," I replied after a few moments of thought. "I remember when she gave me the Robe of the Fire Rat." I smiled fondly at the memory of her dark eyes shining as she gave me the gift.

"She said to me, _My son, you are the strongest man I know."_ I chuckled and shook my head.

"I remember laughing when she said that," I continued. "I was still really little. I said, _Mother, that's crazy. I've heard all the stories about Father. I could never be as strong as him._ My mother had laughed, and looking back now I can hear the sadness in it."

I paused. This is where the memory turned sad.

"Mother picked me up and hugged me tightly. _My strong boy,_ she had murmured in my ear. _There will come a time when I won't be with you._

"I had looked up at her and was confused. _When?_ I had asked. Mother shook her head. _It won't be for a little while,_ she said. _But that day will come_.

"That was when she pulled out the robe. _This will protect you when I'm gone_ , she said as she gave me it to me. _But even when I am no longer with you in body, I will be with you in your heart forever."_

I didn't realize there were tears streaming down my cheeks until Kagome reached up to wipe them away.

"Sorry," I said in a nearly inaudible voice. I hurriedly reached up and wiped away the rest of the tears with my sleeve. "I try not to think about my mother very often," I continued. "It's too..."

Kagome sat up and pulled me with her.

"Think about her," she said. I was taken aback. Did she want me to feel like crap?

She smiled at my confusion. "Remember your mother," she said. "Don't push her memory away." Kagome's eyes prodded me, and I found myself _wanting_ to tell her everything.

"She was kind," I said after a moment of thought. "She was beautiful. When the world shut me out, she was there to let me in. Nothing mattered when she was with me. I was loved unconditionally, and when she died, I thought I would never be worth loving. The only person that had ever loved me was dead, and I had nothing. I had become a little boy had just lost his mother…I was devastated. I went through life aimlessly until I learned that closing off the world even more than it had closed me off and hardening my heart made living tolerable. Before I knew it, I had grown up and become what I knew she wouldn't have wanted me to be."

My voice broke on the last sentence, and I felt myself crying again; this time it was much harder.

Kagome pulled my head onto her and ran her hands through my hair. She didn't speak, and she didn't need to. I wrapped my arms around her and cried like I did when my mother had first died.

I thought about the few years I had with my mother. Her smile was in every memory I had of her. The only time I had ever seen her cry was when she was worried about me. Even then, she would smile and tell me she knew I could do anything because I was her strong boy.

I cried for what I knew was only a few moments, but felt like forever. After my quiet sobs had subsided, I pulled away from Kagome and wiped my eyes.

Kagome was looking at me with the kind expression she always had, but this time it was full of emotion. "Your mother would be so proud of you," she said quietly. "Look at everything you've done and who you are now. You're kind, noble, and you help people every day." Kagome brushed my hair away from my face. "It doesn't matter what happened in the past. I know your mother can see you now, and I know she's smiling."

"Thank you, Kagome," I said. "You…you're the reason that I'm…"

Alive, happy, loved. Kagome had healed me, and I guess I never realized just how broken I was.

I still could hardly speak, but Kagome understood. She nodded and just pulled me closer to her. "I love you, Inuyasha," she said. "So many people love you."

I lifted my head and met her in a kiss. We didn't need to speak anymore. We understood.

To be continued…

Sigh. I wrote this chapter and I've read it about a thousand times but I still get a little teary :')

Hopefully what I said at the beginning about the italics made sense. Anything in italics is the conversation between baby Inu and his mother.

Also, here's a question for thought. Inuyasha's mother doesn't have a name in the manga, but it's Izayoi in the anime/movies. What are you guys' thoughts on that? Is it appropriate to use the name Izayoi to address Inuyasha's mother? I've always thought of her with the name Izayoi even though it isn't 100% canon, but Rumiko Takahashi-sama never gave a name in the manga.

Much love. :)


	18. Kagome and Kikyo's Resolution

Here we go, people.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 18: Kagome and Kikyo's Resolution

The next morning, I woke up to Inuyasha's peaceful breathing. He was still asleep, and I watched how at ease his face was when he was sleeping. I wished I could bottle up this one moment and keep it forever. A new wave of love for him came over me and I smiled.

I thought about what had happened last night. He'd opened up to me more than he ever had before, and I couldn't believe that he'd been carrying all that with him for so long. My only happiness from it all was that he finally got what he needed to say off of his chest, and that he had come so far in his life.

After a little while, I sat up and gently tapped on his chest. "Inuyasha?" I said quietly. He stirred and opened his eyes. When he saw me, he smiled.

"Hey," he replied with a yawn. I smoothed his hair back.

"Are you ready for today?" I asked. Inuyasha looked confused for a moment, but then realization filled his face and his smiled faltered. "Oh," he replied. "I guess so." He sat up with me and took my hand.

I held onto his hand tightly. "When should we leave?" I asked. Inuyasha looked up at me with evident surprise on his face. "You mean…you want to go?" he asked incredulously.

I rolled my eyes. "You didn't think I was going to make you go through this alone, did you?" I asked.

Inuyasha shook his head. "I just figured that after what happened with her, you wouldn't want to see…" he trailed off. I mulled over his words for a moment.

"No," I said firmly. "I'm coming with you." Inuyasha looked at me for a moment, but he soon nodded.

"Good," I confirmed. "Are you ready?"

Inuyasha didn't say anything for a moment. "I'm as ready as I'll get," he replied.

We left soon after.

After we'd reached the torii gate at the edge of the village, I broke the silence. "Do you know where we need to go?" I asked.

Inuyasha looked around and sniffed the air. He paused and nodded to the forest. "Kikyo's scent is that way," he replied. Usually I'd laugh at the display of his inu-yokai side, but today didn't feel like a very comical day.

We carried on in the direction Inuyasha said, and it was a while before he slowed down. "She's near," he said. My heart started racing and Inuyasha unsheathed his sword. "Are you sure?" I asked. I knew the answer.

"Yeah," Inuyasha replied. "I'm sure."

A rustling came from the trees as Kikyo stepped out to face us.

"Kikyo," Inuyasha said.

"You've come to kill me," Kikyo said in a voice so sad that I almost cried for her sake. Inuyasha didn't even blink. "Yes," he replied in a voice without waver.

A tear fell down Kikyo's cheek. "Do it," she said. Inuyasha raised his sword. In the second before he attacked, Kikyo looked into my eyes. Something was different.

"Inuyasha, stop!" I cried as I crashed into him to keep his attack from hitting Kikyo. His Meido flew to the right and cut up a bunch of trees. He turned to face me. "What are you doing?" he asked in a voice surprisingly full of anger. I guess he was a little more tightly wound than I thought.

"Something's different with her this time," I said firmly. Inuyasha didn't look convinced. "It's a trap," he said, his voice tight.

"Just give me a minute," I replied. "Kagome…" he began. I looked at him pleadingly. "Please," I said. After a moment, he relinquished and nodded.

I stepped away from him and looked toward the dead, and yet undead, Miko in front of us. "Kikyo," I said. "What's changed?"

Kikyo looked at me with no fight in her eyes. "I've been watching you," she said, repeating the phrase she'd first said to me when I returned. This time, though, there was no malice in it. "And Inuyasha," she continued.

"What you two have is what I always wanted. Who am I to take that away from you?" As she said this, her eyes grew sadder and sadder.

"You two…it's real," she whispered. "There's no hope for me. I heard you talk about using the Meido." She finally turned away from me.

"Please," she begged. "Just do it now. I don't want to fight anymore." I felt tears in my own eyes as I moved toward her.

"Kikyo," I said. "I'm sorry. I truly want you to find peace. What can I do for you?"

Kikyo looked into my eyes. "You mean…you want to help me?" she asked incredulously. I nodded.

"Of course I do," I replied.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. "There's no help for me," she said. "I can't go on. The portion of the soul inside of me has wandered aimlessly for so long now."

That's when it hit me.

"I know what to do," I declared. Kikyo looked confused, but I kept talking before she could argue.

"I'll reabsorb your part of the soul," I said. "Remember when the witch Orasue tried to suck my soul out to resurrect you? Only a small part of it remained in you and the rest was returned to me. If I reabsorb that one portion, then the two parts will be reunited. Inuyasha won't need to use the Meido on you. You can finally be at peace."

Kikyo looked astonished. "That might work," she said. "You'd be willing to do that for me?" I nodded.

"Yes," I said confidently. "I know we can do it. I don't want you to suffer anymore." Kikyo nodded. "Thank you," she said. I smiled and motioned for her to sit.

Kikyo and I sat down on the ground facing each other. Once we were seated, I took both her hands in mine. She looked toward Inuyasha.

"This is where we part for good," she said. Inuyasha nodded at her. "I hope you find peace, Kikyo," he said. "I'm sorry…about everything." Kikyo smiled for the first time and turned to face me again.

"Are you ready?" I asked. She nodded.

"Thank you, Kagome," she said. I smiled back at her and we both closed our eyes. I focused my hardest on connecting to the part of our shared soul that was residing in Kikyo.

When I felt its presence, I tugged on what felt like an invisible string and was filled with overwhelming emotions.

I could feel Kikyo's pain inside me. Everything she'd ever felt filled me when I absorbed her part of the soul. Every thought about Inuyasha, me, and all the other people she'd known clouded my mind with an indescribable amount of pain. The searing shock of Inuyasha's supposed betrayal was the worst, and her undying love for him made my heart break. It was similar to what I had known that we both felt, but her pain was so much greater than mine.

"Kagome." I heard her voice in my head. "It worked. I'm finally at peace."

Then her presence was gone.

I didn't realize I was sobbing until I felt Inuyasha's arms come around me. I opened my eyes and saw that Kikyo was gone. That forced a new wave of tears over me and I buried my face in Inuyasha's haori and cried until I had nothing left.

After a long while, I pulled away from him and wiped my eyes with my sleeves. Inuyasha was looking at me intently. "Are you okay?" he asked. I tried to smile.

"Yeah," I replied. "I could feel Kikyo's pain. It was almost like it was my own." I wiped away the rest of my tears.

"She's at peace now," I said. "After everything, she's finally at peace." Inuyasha smiled. "That was amazing," he replied. I took a deep breath and tried to adjust to the new heaviness in my body.

"I feel different," I said. "My soul is whole now. It's a strange feeling." Inuyasha looked mesmerized. "What?" I asked. Inuyasha shook his head. "Let's go home," he said as he stood up. I followed suit and soon we were headed home.

To be continued…

Before I say anything, I just want to announce how freakin' psychic Gin is. You were totally right about the soul thing and Kikyo. As soon as you commented that, I was like _Uh-oh, someone's on to me._ Lol but anyway, I'm only going to post two more chapters tonight. I think they're the perfect ones to close out with.

Much love. :)


	19. Proposal

Psst, 00nighthowler00, pay attention to this one.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

I was too embarrassed to admit how glad I was that I didn't have to kill Kikyo. She'd died for my sake too many times, and I didn't want to be the reason for her death again. Kagome, though, she'd been amazing. How she knew to reabsorb Kikyo's soul, I didn't know. But it had worked, and Kagome seemed complete.

It had killed me to see her cry like that, though.

After she'd reabsorbed Kikyo's piece of her soul, it was like she was a completely new person. She looked fuller and almost…wiser. I couldn't get over how amazed I was.

Once we reached our village, we went straight to Kaede's house to tell her what had happened.

When we walked through the doorway, Kaede looked up and her eyes widened. "Kagome…" she said.

Kagome glanced at me. I knew she felt different, but I guess she didn't realize that she _looked_ different. Her body wasn't different, but the coloring of her skin was a little darker, not as pale, and her eyes looked like they should have belonged to someone much older than her.

"Ye have absorbed Kikyo's portion of the soul," Kaede observed.

Kagome nodded. "She's at peace," she replied. "Finally, she's at peace."

Kaede smiled. "I give ye all of my gratitude, Kagome," she said sincerely. "Ye are a remarkable woman."

Kagome blushed. "Thank you," she replied.

Kagome gave Kaede a full run-down of what had happened and how it had all turned out. I sat back quietly, nodding every so often as Kagome spoke.

After we'd told Kaede everything that had happened, Kagome yawned and I knew she must've been exhausted.

"Go get some rest," Kaede said kindly. "We can talk more later." Kagome nodded and stood up.

I walked her to her house and before she could say anything, I spoke. "Can I come in for a few minutes?" I asked. Kagome looked surprised, but she nodded.

I followed her inside and took a deep breath.

"I have something for you," I said once we had sat down on her futon. Kagome looked at me curiously. "What is it?" she asked. I reached into my sleeve and pulled out the piece of paper I'd been carrying around for the last three years.

"Do you remember the last time we were in your era before we defeated Naraku and the well closed?" I asked.

Kagome nodded. "Yeah," she replied, smiling a bit. "That was the day we almost kissed for the first time."

I smiled back at her. "If only Sota hadn't walked in at that exact moment," I said jokingly.

Kagome leaned over and kissed me quickly. "I think we've made up for it," she replied. I chuckled but quickly grew serious as I continued what I was saying.

"Well, before we came back here, I asked your mother if I could marry you one day," I said. Kagome's eyes widened and smile blossomed on her face.

"She said she wouldn't want it any other way," I continued. "That actually surprised me because I wasn't exactly the nicest person." My smile turned sheepish.

"But anyway, she came to me the next day and gave me this letter," I said as I handed it to Kagome. "Your mom was so excited when she gave that to me. I think she knew that this would happen. Not the whole part about the well closing, but that you would wind up staying in this time."

Kagome smiled. "My mom knew that I loved you before I did," she replied. "She was smart like that." I smiled and took her hand.

"She said that I was supposed to give it to you when we got engaged," I said. "Now I can finally ask you without any fear of someone attacking us." Kagome laughed and I saw tears of joy start to fall from her eyes. I took her hand and asked her the question I'd kept inside for over three years.

"Kagome," I said. "Will you marry me?"

To be continued…

Aaannnddd we have a proposal!

Omg, what will Kagome say? ;)

Much love. :)


	20. A Mother's Blessing

Enjoy this…because I totally do.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 19: A Mother's Blessing

I don't think I'd ever been happier than when Inuyasha proposed, and I was glad that he didn't waste any time asking me after we were free from any danger.

"Of course I'll marry you!" I exclaimed as I threw myself into his arms. He laughed and kissed me with the passion of a five-hundred-year romance.

"We're engaged!" I shouted when we pulled away. Inuyasha huffed. "Don't go crazy about planning the wedding, though, okay?" I cupped his cheeks in my hands.

"Oh, sweet, innocent, Inuyasha," I teased. "I'm going to be such a bridezilla." Inuyasha's eyes widened. "I have no clue what that is," he replied. "But I don't want to find out." I laughed and shook my head.

"I'm just kidding," I said. "I won't get all crazy about wedding planning, but I do want to get married soon." Inuyasha chuckled and nodded. "Me, too," he said. "But I don't know much about weddings." I patted his face.

"Well, it's a good thing you have me," I replied.

Inuyasha left a little while later. He wanted me to go ahead and read the letter my mom had written me, so he said he was going back to Kaede's house. I was going to meet up with him after I read the letter so we could officially announce our engagement.

Once he was gone, I opened the letter.

 _My Dearest Kagome,_ it began.

 _If you're reading this letter, it means that you're marrying the one you've always loved. You know, the boy with the cute little dog ears? I had to say I was a little surprised that he asked me if he could marry you so early. Come to think of it, I was more surprised that he actually asked me in the first place. He never seemed that traditional, but then again, we all have different sides of ourselves that we rarely let show._

 _I remember when I found you crying in front of the Sacred Tree. You had realized you loved him then, but I had known for some time already. You two completed each other, and I didn't think I had ever seen a better pair. Thank Inuyasha for me. Thank him for making you so happy._

 _I am the proudest mother, Kagome. The era that you all go to must be dangerous and yet you still go and help fight for the good of it. I know you love that time, and if I'm correct, I imagine that you and Inuyasha will marry and stay there together. I'll miss you terribly, but I know that being there and being with him is what's best for you. I know that this letter may be a little bittersweet, but I wanted you to have something tangible that you could keep in the past with you. That's an interesting concept to try and understand. Isn't it odd that now you're technically older than me?_

 _Kagome, no matter what happens in the place you decide to live, always be true to your heart. Don't ever regret the choices you make in life. Of course, I have to ask that you try not to forget us here in the present. I'm so proud of you, dear. I hope you and Inuyasha live a long and happy life together. I love you._

 _Love, Mom_

Of course, as soon I as I finish reading my mother's letter, I was crying my eyes out. I hadn't realized how much I missed my mom. Not just her, but everyone in my family. Grandpa, Sota, even Buyo.

But it's like Mom said. I have no regrets. I'm happy where I am and I'm even happier knowing that my family is, too. I smiled through my tears as I felt the blessing of my mom on me.

I wiped my eyes and put the letter on my futon. Once my face was pretty much dry, I headed over to Kaede's house.

When I opened the door, I saw that Inuyasha had assembled everyone in Kaede's house. Miroku, Sango, and even Rin had joined him and Kaede. I was a little sad that Shippo wasn't here, but I knew he'd visit soon.

Inuyasha smiled knowingly at me when I walked in the house and sat down beside him.

"We have an announcement," I said once I got settled. I remembered my promise to Sango, so I immediately looked at her.

Sango gasped. "No way," she exclaimed happily. I nodded and smiled.

"Inuyasha and I are getting married!" I declared. Everyone started cheering and I heard a round of congratulations. Inuyasha looked a little embarrassed by all the attention, but he was handling it like a champ.

In the midst of it all, Inuyasha met my eyes and took my hand.

Everything was finally coming together.

To be continued…

*sigh

Alright, I have to stop for tonight, and I think this is a good spot. I'll see if I can post tomorrow, but it's possible that it won't be until Monday. I hope you all are satisfied enough for now though xD

Much love! :)


	21. An Unexpected Visit

I love reading you guys' comments…thanks so much for reading!

So Gin mentioned Inuyasha and how he cried in my fic. Okay, so one of my absolute favorite scenes in the manga/anime is when Inuyasha is crying during Kikyo's death. I may not like them as a couple, but her death scene and him crying was one of my favorite parts. Not because Kikyo died lol but because I always like seeing that side of Inuyasha and it was just such a beautiful scene.

I'll be honest when I say that the original version of this fic included him crying a whole lot more, but throughout the editing process, I realized that even though Inuyasha has come a long way and everything, it just wouldn't be realistic…also it would be super weird to have him crying all the time. I think him crying when he's talking about his mom is the last time he'll cry in this fic…I agree with you, Gin; there's a limit to his tears I think! That's why I tried to not make him cry too much. As always, thanks for your comments, and no worries about the speculation! That's why I posted so quickly, and I have to say that I'm super impressed that you saw it coming.

Thanks to sllmidnight! :) I'm so happy you liked it, and I really appreciate your review! Over the years, I've always wondered about the shipping ideas when it comes to Rin. Sometimes I think Sesshomaru, sometimes Kohaku, and I've also seen people shipping Rin and Shippo which I never really thought about. Overall, I ship Rin and Sesshomaru. I have 2 other fics that I'll be uploading when OOT is done, and one of them is almost completely about Rin and Sesshomaru. I don't think you'll be disappointed. :) And Jaken? Hmm…maybe I'll have to add a little scene somewhere in the last few chapters of this fic just for you ;)

Also, to my sassiest follower (but of course I love you), I tend to write really late at night. I'm my best around 1-2am ahaha I make no apologies xD It's like 7:37pm right now though, so not too bad.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 21: An Unexpected Visit

A week after Kagome and I got engaged, we decided to take a break from planning the wedding, so we took a walk to Goshinboku. "The bridal kimono cleaning can wait," Kagome had said with a smile.

As we walked to the tree, I took Kagome's hand and held on tight. Our engagement had been pretty hectic, so we were both looking forward to what we assumed would be a quiet evening alone together.

Not even five minutes after being at the tree, I caught the scent of someone I hadn't seen in several years. _Crap,_ I thought to myself. _I have to get Kagome out of here._

"Man, it's pretty chilly out here, huh?" I asked suddenly. I pulled back from Kagome and stood up.

"Inuyasha," she said as followed me with her eyes. "What are you doing?" she asked. "It's not even cold out. Come sit back down." She patted the ground beside her. I glanced at the trees behind me. The scent was getting stronger.

"No, I think we should head back," I said. "I'm tired." Kagome raised an eyebrow. "You're tired?" she asked.

I nodded somewhat violently. "Yes," I replied. "I'm very tired." Kagome didn't look convinced but she caved. "Um, okay," she finally said.

I reached down and took Kagome's hand so I could pull her up. Once she was standing beside me, I kept a firm grasp on her hand and started walking away from the tree.

She followed me somewhat reluctantly. "Inuyasha?" she asked with concern in her voice. I felt her tug gently on my hand. "Hey," she said. I knew she wouldn't go any farther without some sort of answer so I stopped walking and turned around to face her.

"What's wrong?" she asked. I glanced behind her. If we hurried, then maybe we could get out of here in time. "Nothing," I lied. "I told you. I'm _very_ tired." Kagome looked worried as she took my other hand.

"I know you're lying," she said. "Is this about the wedding? Are you having second thoughts?" My eyes widened.

"No," I said without hesitation. "Of course not. My mind isn't going to change about that."

Kagome finally smiled. "Good," she replied. "So what's going on?" I sighed.

"Koga is coming," I admitted. Kagome looked confused. "Okay?" she replied. _Is this woman crazy?_

"I'm sorry," I said sarcastically. "Maybe you didn't hear me. I said _Koga_ is coming."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "That's what you're freaking out about?" she asked.

I looked at her in disbelief. " _Kagome_ ," I replied. "The real question here is why _aren't_ you freaking out?"

Kagome laughed. "Because there's no reason," she said. Kagome smirked. "Are you still jealous?" she asked. I felt myself blush. "No," I replied. I knew she'd see right through me.

Sure enough, she did. Kagome let go of my hands and put her arms around me.

"You shouldn't be," she said in a much gentler voice. "I'm marrying _you_ because I love _you_. Nothing could ever happen that will change that." I smiled and relaxed a little at her words.

"Okay?" she asked. I nodded. Kagome smiled. "Good," she said. "And isn't Koga married to Ayame?" I paused. "Oh, yeah," I replied. "I forgot about that." Kagome laughed and shook her head as she leaned up to kiss me.

Before our lips could touch, a huge tornado came through the forest and broke us apart. Kagome and I pulled away from each other and turned to look at it.

I groaned and Kagome just laughed. "Don't worry," she said. I huffed and kept a tight hold on her hand. No way was Koga going to get any ideas.

The tornado finally reached us and calmed down to a single wolf-man.

"Kagome!" he said as soon as he was in front of us. "It's been too long." Kagome smiled.

"Hi, Koga," she replied cheerfully. "How are you doing these days?" Koga frowned.

"My life has been empty without you," he said. "I left our lands for the first time in a while to check on a disturbance with another tribe, so it brought me to a village a few miles from here. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I caught your wonderful scent! As soon as I got a whiff of it, I came right away." Kagome tightened her hold on my hand.

"Oh," she said. "How…dedicated." I felt a growl starting in my chest.

"Get out of here, Koga," I said menacingly. Kagome glanced up at me and gave me one of her Looks. I ignored it. "What about your _wife_ , moron?" I asked. Koga eyed me.

"You're still hanging around this stupid dog?" he asked as he turned back to Kagome. "I heard you've been gone for a while, Kagome."

Koga glanced at me again. "I'm surprised you didn't find another dead woman to fall in love with." I felt Kagome tense next to me and I knew that was the last straw.

"You're so dead," I growled. I let go of Kagome's hand and went to punch Koga. Before I could, my little Miko fiancée was reaching her own fist out and clocked Koga right on the jaw.

Koga and I both looked at Kagome in shock. "What was that for?" Koga shouted as he rubbed his jaw. A weak punch from a human hadn't hurt him physically, but I knew there was some serious damage to his pride.

"You're being a jerk," she scolded. "And you need to leave. It's not right for you to be here. First of all, you're married. Second of all, I'm engaged." Koga's eyes widened.

"You're engaged?" he asked. He paused and then turned his head to me. "You've gotta be kidding me…you're marrying _him_?" I let myself smirk. "That's right," I said smugly.

Koga looked absolutely horrified. " _What_?" he yelled. "I swear I'm gonna pummel you." Koga started to come at me but Kagome moved in front of him. "Stop it," she said seriously. Koga looked surprised.

"Koga, you need to leave," she said. "Ayame loves you and _you're_ the one that asked her to marry you in the first place. You made a vow and now you need to keep it." Kagome's expression turned compassionate. "And I love Inuyasha, okay? I always have. I'm sorry."

Koga was stunned into silence. He looked defeated. "Well, I guess I understand," he said. "Don't let it ever be said that I didn't try." Kagome looked like she was starting to feel guilty.

"Go home to your wife," she said kindly. "Make her feel as good as you've always tried to make me feel, okay?" Koga looked like that was the last thing he wanted to do.

"I guess I'll try," he replied. "Well, have a great life, Kagome. I hope you're happy."

Koga turned to me. "I'm glad I won't be seeing your stupid face again," he said. I clenched my fist and started to move toward him but Kagome put her hand on my chest to stop me.

Koga started up his tornado again and then he was gone.

I let out a sigh of relief when he was gone. "I hate that guy," I said. "That was so irritating…but you, Kagome?" I laughed. "You were awesome! You got him so good!"

Kagome didn't answer me. Instead, she leaned her head on my shoulder.

"Kagome?" I said. She looked up at me with hurt in her eyes. "It's just…what Koga said about…" she began. I knew she was talking about the comment Koga had made about another dead woman. I pulled Kagome to me and held her close.

"He's an idiot," I said. "But you showed him." Kagome finally smiled and looked pretty proud of herself. "You're right," she replied. "I was pretty great." She rubbed her knuckles. "But my hand really hurts now." I chuckled.

Kagome flexed her fingers once more and then looked at me mischievously. "Now that we have that taken care of," she said. "Let's go finish the wedding planning!"

I quickly picked her up and started running toward the village.

"Let's hurry," I said. "I'm ready to marry you."

To be continued…

A little Koga action. Closure, I guess? I'm all about that in my fics!

Much love. :)


	22. Inuyasha's Gift

So this is a super fluffy chapter, and I really love it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 22: Inuyasha's Gift

I woke up with my stomach in knots. Today was the day, and I felt totally unprepared for it and yet completely ready.

It was my wedding day. Inuyasha and I would be beginning our lives together as one, and I couldn't be more excited. It was a bittersweet day, too. Neither of our families were here to see our union; only our fellow villagers and closest friends.

Despite all of the logical reasons for being nervous, I knew that the day would be perfect. Inuyasha and I were finally getting married, and I couldn't wait.

Sango, Kaede, and Rin came to my and soon to be Inuyasha's house several hours before the wedding was supposed to take place. They were going to help me get ready for the day, and I considered them my little bridal party.

Inuyasha had been super helpful with all the preparations. Everything was going to be very traditional, which I liked. We would be wed under the Torii gate in the village wearing the wedding garb from this time period.

As Sango and Kaede began to help me get ready, Rin laid out the bridal kimono and we admired it for a moment.

Rin let out a squeal and Sango gazed at kimono. "It's beautiful," Sango admired. I had asked her to be my Matron of Honor, and once I explained what that meant, she was incredibly, well, honored.

"Ye are going to be radiant," Kaede chimed in. I blushed and touched the silk of the kimono. I was about to begin dressing when I heard a voice at the door.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha called from outside.

Kaede, Sango, and Rin all looked at me like I'd gone crazy when I shrieked in surprise. "We're not supposed to see each other before the wedding!" I cried. They still looked confused.

"It's a future thing," I explained. Sango laughed and shook her head.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice rang out again. I walked over to the doorway and made sure I wasn't visible.

"What?" I replied, trying my hardest to remain unseen. Inuyasha chuckled. "Are you gonna come out here?" he asked. I frowned.

"No!" I nearly shouted. "In the future, the bride and groom aren't supposed to see each other before the wedding." I could practically feel Inuyasha rolling his eyes.

"But I have something for you," Inuyasha countered. "It…it's important." His tone conveyed something heavy, and I knew that it was much more significant than a silly future superstition.

I finally just relented. "I'll be right back," I chirped to Sango and Kaede. They nodded and began preparing the bridal kimono.

I stepped outside and was greeted by a smile and the arms of Inuyasha. I walked into his waiting embrace and held him close.

"Hi," I said into his kimono. Inuyasha's cheek rubbed against my hair. "Hey," he replied. "Are you ready for today?" I nodded against him. "Yes," I said. "Are you?" Inuyasha chuckled. "Of course," he replied.

I pulled back slightly so I could look at him.

I had known that Inuyasha would trade his Robe of the Fire Rat for a traditional simple groom kimono, but I was almost sad to see him clad in dark gray instead of red.

Inuyasha must have noticed my face; concern immediately filled his eyes.

"What?" he asked as I touched his kimono.

"It's just weird seeing you wear this," I replied. "I don't think I've ever seen you in anything other than your robe." Inuyasha chuckled.

"You don't like it?" he teased. I blushed. I totally liked it.

"No, no," I replied. "I, um…I like it. I like it very much." Inuyasha's chuckle turned into a full on laugh. I joined him in his laughter, and soon it died down as he looked at what I was wearing.

"Is that your wedding attire?" he asked as he eyed my white robe.

I rolled my eyes. "No, baka," I said lightheartedly. "I haven't gotten dressed yet." Inuyasha looked embarrassed, but I quickly moved past it.

"What was it you had for me?" I asked in attempt to relieve his bruised ego.

Inuyasha's face lit up. "Oh, yeah," he replied as he let go of me.

He reached into the sleeve of his kimono and pulled out what looked like a home-made necklace. It was brightly colored: full of red and green and white.

"It's beautiful," I said as I admired it. Inuyasha blushed again. "Your mother mentioned that when people in your time get married," he began, "they wear rings to symbolize their union." I nodded. "That's right," I replied.

Inuyasha looked a little timid. "Well, I don't know where we could find rings like those, and I didn't think to try and figure out how to get them in your era before we defeated Naraku. I guess I thought we'd have a little more time." My smiled faded. Neither of us liked reliving our time apart.

"Anyway," he continued, "I wanted to do something like that, but I wasn't sure what."

He touched the beads at his neck. "This is something that binds me to you. I've told you before that I see it as a connection between us." Then he held up the necklace he had made.

"Since I have a necklace, I figured I'd make you one, too," he said. "I thought we could wear them instead of rings." Inuyasha looked almost…shy. That's an emotion I never thought I'd see from him.

"That's perfect, Inuyasha," I replied. "Thank you." Inuyasha smiled and gently slipped the necklace over my head. He brushed the hair off my neck so the necklace was sitting comfortably.

"It has one of your old scarves from that green kimono you used to wear," he said. I laughed. He had a scarf from my junior high uniform?

"Why did you have it?" I asked. Inuyasha smirked. "I liked how you smelled," he said shamelessly. "I stole one of your scarves so I could have it while you were gone."

For a moment, I could only look at him. Then I burst out laughing.

"That's hilarious," I replied. "And so sweet." Inuyasha rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"Then I used a small piece of my Robe of the Fire Rat, too," he continued. I fingered the handmade item around my neck. "And what did you use for the green and white in it?" I asked. "More of my uniform?" Inuyasha shook his head.

"It's from one of my mother's old kimonos," he replied. My eyes widened. "Oh, Inuyasha," I said. "I can't…you didn't have to do this." Inuyasha shook his head and cupped my cheeks in his hands.

"I _wanted_ to," he replied. "I want you to have that around your neck. I've had a small patch of that kimono with me since she died, and I like it a lot better on you than tucked in my hakama." I laughed and wiped the tears from my eyes.

"Thank you so much, Inuyasha," I said as I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I love you." I leaned up to kiss him and I felt him smile against my lips. His arms came all the way around me and his kiss turned passionate.

He had just lifted me off of my feet and closer to him when Sango came out of the house.

"Kagome-oh!" she said as she saw the position Inuyasha and I were in. Inuyasha and I pulled apart but he kept me in his arms. Sango's face was bright red but Inuyasha and I just laughed. I gave Inuyasha one more quick peck on the mouth and then had him put me down.

"I'm sorry, Sango," I said in an amused voice. Sango's blush died down and she chuckled a bit, but she still looked like she wanted to run back inside. I sometimes forgot how conservative this era was. Inuyasha and I should have been the ones that were mortified, but we just thought it was funny. Now, if _Kaede_ had seen us like that, then I would have died of embarrassment.

"We need to finish getting you ready," Sango said as she began walking back inside. I nodded. "I'll be there in a second," I replied.

When Sango had disappeared inside, Inuyasha immediately pulled me back. "Where were we?" he asked mischievously as he leaned down again.

I tilted my head so that instead of my lips, his mouth grazed my cheek. He pulled back and frowned. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked. I laughed and shook my head.

"No," I replied. "You're just really good at distracting me and I need to go get ready." Inuyasha chuckled and reluctantly loosened his hold on me.

"Okay," he said. We both knew it was time to part ways, but neither of us wanted to let go. Instead, I hugged him tightly one last time. He managed to sneak a quick kiss, but then I walked back toward the house.

"I'll see you soon," I said as I approached the door. Inuyasha smiled. "See you soon," he replied. With one last smile from him and a small swoon from me, I walked back into the house.

Sango, Rin, and Kaede immediately started helping me get dressed. Inuyasha and I had talked (and kissed) longer than I realized, and now we were dangerously close to being late.

As I was putting on the bridal kimono, I showed them the necklace Inuyasha had given me and explained it to them.

They were all amazed that something so… _creative_ had come from Inuyasha, and I couldn't be prouder to be marrying him. Once I was completely ready, it was time to get married.

To be continued…

Thanks to Gin for previously commenting on the proposal chapter about the weddings from this time and the whole commoner/nobility difference. I purposefully didn't go into too much detail just because I was a little nervous about getting it wrong.

Thanks again to all you lovely readers. I'm so happy to have received such positive feedback.

Much love. :)


	23. Changed Scent

As the name of the chapter portrays, everything is now set one year after Kagome and Inuyasha get married.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 23: Changed Scent

Kagome and I got married soon after I proposed, and I can honestly say it was the best question I'd ever asked her. We went to visit my mother's grave a few days after the wedding, and we both felt her smiling down on us.

Once we returned home, I stopped sleeping in the tree. Now, instead of me kissing Kagome good night outside of her house, I come in to _our_ house with her. It's a pretty good feeling.

Now, a year later, things were going really well. Sango recently became pregnant with her and Miroku's fourth child. She was due in a few months, and Kagome was really excited to finally be there for one of her births. Knowing Miroku and Sango, odds are there are going to be more for Kagome to be there for.

Kagome and I, on the other hand, had been talking about children some lately. She mentioned that she'd always wanted kids, and she asked me what I thought.

"Kagome," I had said. "As long as you're the one birthing my children, I'll have a million of them." Kagome had a good laugh at that.

A few weeks later, a change came.

Miroku and I had been on a job, and the yokai we'd fought had been a lot harder to defeat than we originally thought it would be. It wound up taking way longer than I thought it would.

Kagome was already asleep by the time I got to our house. All I wanted to do now was follow suit into slumber land.

I walked over to the futon where Kagome was sleeping. I got under the blanket next to her and just listened to her breathing. I love that she's the last person I see at night and the first person I see in the morning.

Her even breathing comforted me as I lay next to her on the verge of sleep. Just as I felt myself drifting away, I was suddenly jolted completely awake. I sat up and looked over at Kagome. Something had changed in her scent. It reminded me of Sango during the times she was pregnant…

Holy crap. Kagome was pregnant.

I could barely sleep that night, so I laid awake for a while imagining how I would tell Kagome that she was pregnant.

The next morning when Kagome woke up, I almost blurted it out. Before I could, she eyed me and frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked. I shook my head. "Nothing," I replied.

She didn't look convinced, but she dropped it and got up.

Not even two seconds after she stood, she stumbled and nearly fell. I shot up off of the futon and grabbed her before she hit the floor.

"Kagome!" I exclaimed as I caught her. "Are you okay?" Kagome looked a little surprised herself, but she just nodded.

"Yeah," she replied. "I just felt a little dizzy for a moment." I kept a tight hold on her; who knew if she'd fall again? Kagome patted my arm.

"You can let go now," she said. "I'm fine." Reluctantly, I let her go. She kept her eyes on me and a look of concern grew on her face.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked. I nodded. "Yeah," I replied. "And I'll help you with whatever you're doing today." Kagome's surprised expression returned.

"Uh, alright," she replied. She looked suspicious, but soon enough we got ready for the day and left our house.

After Kagome's dizzy spell this morning, I didn't want to let her out of my sight. She seemed to grow even more suspicious than she already was, and rightly so. I needed to tell her about the baby, but I had to find a good time to do it. Despite that, my main focus for the day was to make sure Kagome didn't hurt herself.

Kagome said she needed wanted to go to Sango's house to learn about the birthing rituals of this time so she could be prepared for when Sango went in to labor.

I tried to follow her into Sango's house, but she said that there were "no boys allowed." Kagome made me wait outside until she was done. When she and Sango finally finished whatever they were doing, I helped Kagome out with all of her Miko duties. By that time, she was starting to get a little irritated.

"Inuyasha," she kept saying when I offered to carry her. "I am perfectly capable of walking, thank you." I felt bad, but I didn't want her to get hurt.

That night, as we were walking back to our house, I tried my best to not coddle her but she kept tripping so it was like she was asking for it. When we finally entered our house, Kagome's face looked a little flushed.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" I asked.

She groaned. "Inuyasha, dear, I love you, but _you_ are what's wrong," she replied. I was taken aback. "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"You've been acting like a lunatic all day!" she said. "Are you okay?" Her expression turned concerned. "Is something bothering you?" she asked.

Her eyes filled with the kindness that I knew her for. I was overcome with emotion at how beautiful she was at that moment, so I did what any guy would do.

I kissed her.

When I pulled back, her cheeks had taken on a red hue. "Sheesh," she said with a little laugh. "You're so weird." She was smiling, so I figured she wasn't mad anymore.

"I love you," I said. "I know," she replied, still smiling. "So are you going to tell me what's going on?"

I sighed. "Don't freak out, okay?" I said. She raised her eyebrows.

"Last night before I fell asleep, I noticed that you smelled different," I began. Kagome quickly grew irritated. "So you've been acting weird all day because I stink?" She looked like she was about to yell at me.

"No, no, no," I said quickly in an attempt to stop the explosion. "You've always smelled good. You still do. Actually, you smell even better now." Kagome still looked irritated and I didn't blame her.

"Okay, let me just start over," I said. "When I noticed that your scent had changed, it reminded me of how Sango smells when she's…" I paused, wondering how she would react.

"It's like when she's pregnant." I put my hand on Kagome's stomach and her eyes widened. "Inuyasha…" she started. She grew quiet, and I could tell that she was trying to figure out if it was true.

"I think…I think you're right," she said incredulously. Tears formed in her eyes and began to fall down her cheeks.

"Kagome," I said, alarmed. "Why are you crying?" She shook her head and threw her arms around me.

"They're happy tears!" she exclaimed. "Inuyasha, this is the best thing you could have told me!" She smiled the biggest smile I'd ever seen from her.

"We're going to have a baby!" she said. I smiled and was filled with joy at Kagome's reaction. "Yeah," I said, choking back emotion.

"We're going to have a baby."

To be continued…

An Inu-baby is coming!

I've always thought that Inuyasha would be able to smell when Kagome, or anyone for that matter, was pregnant. I've also seen the same trend in almost every other Inuyasha fic I've read that includes someone being pregnant. His sense of smell is so delicate that I would figure he'd be able to have that ability.

What are your thoughts?

Much love. :)


	24. Future Fun

I had a review from hallowdark94 asking for longer chapters and lo and behold, this is the longest chapter in the fic. You guys seriously must have ESP or something. Either that or you're just awesome…hm, I'm gonna lean more toward the latter. ;)

I was super pumped when I saw that I have a Spanish-speaking reader because I also speak Spanish! Esto es para ti:

Yo estoy feliz que te gusta mi historia! Yo pienso que yo voy a añadir Sesshomaru en un capitulo futuro, pero necesito buscar un bien parte. Un reviewer diferente también quiere un capitulo con Jaken, así yo pienso que voy a añadir ambos. Yo estoy muy feliz que disfrutas mi historia!

Also, remember several chapters ago when I said that I'd discuss the well more in a later chapter? Well, this is it. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 24: Future Fun

Inuyasha and I announced that I was pregnant the next day, and there was a big excitement.

"Kagome-chan!" Sango had shrieked. "Our babies are going to be the same age!"

I joined in on her excitement, and we immediately started planning play-dates for our kids.

"Hey, Inuyasha?" Sango said after our mini-celebration. "What gender are the babies?" I looked at her like she'd gone crazy.

"Why are you asking him that?" I asked. Sango motioned toward the twins and Akio.

"Inuyasha has been able to tell the gender of all our kids," she replied. "He even knew that Kohana and Hikari were twins."

I looked to Inuyasha; he just shrugged. "Really?" I asked. Sango nodded.

"It's insane, but he's never been wrong," she replied. "So, Inuyasha, what are they?" she asked again.

Inuyasha paused liked he was focusing on something. "Sango, you're having a boy," Inuyasha said after a moment.

Sango smiled. "Now Akio will have a little guy to play with!" she replied happily.

Inuyasha turned to look at me next. "Kagome, do you want to know?" he asked. "We can wait if you want." I took his hand.

"Apparently you already know so you might as well tell me," I replied.

Inuyasha smirked. "Alright then," he said. "It's a girl." I felt my smile grow and my eyes filled with tears.

Sango immediately shrieked out of joy. "Kagome!" she said excitedly. "Our babies can get married!" We both cheered for a moment and then we started crying.

Our poor husbands. Hormones were their worst enemies.

Once Sango and I had calmed down, Miroku mentioned that he'd never heard of a hanyo and a human having a child. "What do you think it'll look like, Kagome?" he'd asked. I shrugged.

I had to admit that I was a little curious at how the baby would be. _She_ , according to Inuyasha, was a quarter yokai, after all, but I wasn't worried. I knew that I would love this kid even if she had two heads. Then again, she's only a quarter-yokai. How many yokai traits could she possess?

Secretly, I hoped she'd have Inuyasha's ears.

As time went on, Kaede gave me some really good herbs to keep me from getting too nauseous, so I had only been sick a few times. That relieved Inuyasha. He got really worried whenever I started feeling my pregnancy. It was obvious that he was still happy, though.

A couple weeks after we found out I was pregnant, I started to show. I didn't expect to see such a difference so soon, but I guess it was more difficult to tell when exactly a pregnancy began even with a magic-sniffer husband.

But soon enough, my abdomen was popping out, and I found myself touching it absentmindedly throughout the day. Inuyasha had the same tendency, too, and it always made me blush.

My pregnancy days were peaceful, and time flew by.

I decided to take a walk one day while Inuyasha was on a job with Miroku. It would be nice to have some time to myself. I had been feeling a little down, and I needed to think some things through.

When I reached the Sacred Tree, I sat down at the base and leaned against it. My hands instinctively went to my stomach. I felt a wave of sadness come over me as I thought about what had been on my mind for the last week.

 _Mom._

I had always imagined that when I got married, my mother would be with me through everything. That hadn't happened, but it was okay; I knew she was with me in spirit. The letter she'd written me had helped, but I still missed her.

And now, I'm pregnant with her grandchild that she would never meet or hold or get to love. I felt tears begin to fall as I pictured her face. I imagined being back in my original time, with my mother accompanying me to doctor's appointments and then finally when I would give birth. Mom would've held my hand and helped me through everything.

I put my head in my hands as I cried over the absence of my mother. I could never regret choosing to spend my life here, but I wish that I could at least tell my mother that I was finally married to Inuyasha and that we were having a baby.

The tears continued to fall until I heard a rustling in the trees. Looking up, I saw a flash of red. I hurriedly wiped my eyes so he wouldn't worry.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha called out as he neared the tree. "What's wrong?" He came over and sat down next to me. A worried expression came dawned on his face when he saw my tears. "Hey, why are you upset?" He took my hand and kissed my tearstained cheek.

More tears came as I shook my head. He pulled me to him and held me close, despite not knowing why I was crying like an idiot. After a few moments, I pulled back.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I was just…" I stopped, unsure if I wanted to bring up my old life. Inuyasha looked at me expectantly.

"Why are you crying?" he asked gently. I sighed.

"I was just thinking about my mom," I admitted. "She's never going to be able to meet our child, and it just made me a little sad." Inuyasha took my hand silently.

After a moment of quiet, I wiped the rest of my tears away and tried to smile. "I'll be okay, though," I said. Inuyasha just looked at me pensively. Inuyasha tucked my hair behind my ear and tried to smile.

"I understand," he said. "I wish my mom was here, too."

I recalled the conversation Inuyasha and I'd had about his mother, and it made me realize that even though Mom wasn't here, I had someone that loved me and cared for me. Inuyasha was that someone for me, and I was that someone for him.

I patted Inuyasha's hand. "I'm alright," I said. "I just had a pregnant moment." I expected Inuyasha to laugh, but he just looked at me seriously.

"Let's go see your mom," he said suddenly. My eyes widened.

"What?" I asked. Inuyasha grinned.

"Let's go see her," he repeated. "Come on." Inuyasha stood up and reached down to gently pull me up beside him.

"But, Inuyasha, the well," I said. "It didn't work last time."

Inuyasha smiled. "I have a feeling it'll work," he said as he began to pull me along behind him. I frowned and tugged lightly on his hand. "Wait," I insisted.

Inuyasha turned around to look at me. "What?" he asked. I shook my head. "I appreciate you wanting to do this," I began, "but don't you remember what happened the last time we tried to use the well?" Inuyasha paused.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking," he said. "And I think I know why the well stopped working in the first place." Inuyasha looked at me hesitantly.

"You felt guilty about worrying your family after those three days in the Shikon Jewel, right?" he asked quietly. I nodded and frowned.

"Yes," I replied. "I had made them so upset and I was just happy to be home with them." Inuyasha's eyes turned sad.

"When I saw them all hug you when we came up out of the well, I realized something," he said. "I realized that there were other people that cared about you. I wasn't the only one that loved you or needed you." Inuyasha's sighed.

"I think losing you for those three days was almost worse than the three years apart," he admitted. "At least I knew you were safe during those three years." I felt tears prickle against my eyes.

"What does that have to do with the well not working?" I asked.

"What kept the well from working," he explained, "was the way we felt after those three days in the darkness." I looked into Inuyasha's eyes.

"You really think so?" I asked. Inuyasha nodded.

"Neither of us truly wanted the well to work even though we wanted to be together," he said. "You were worried about your family and I was worried about you. Then with the Shikon no Tama disappearing, there was no tangible way to connect the two times. It was all based on feelings." Inuyasha pulled me to him and held me close.

"I spoke to Kaede about this right before you returned," he said. "She agrees." I sighed and nestled my head into his haori.

"But now that we're together and happy," he continued, "I think the well would work for us. Now we would _both_ want to go through it." I smiled and nodded against him.

"There's only one way to find out," I replied.

A few minutes later, Inuyasha and I were standing in front of the well. He took my hand turned to me.

"Are you ready?" he asked. I smiled in determination and nodded.

With that, we hopped over the edge and jumped into the well.

Before I could even begin to question if the well would work, we were surrounded by cosmic energy and I heard an excited little shriek come out of me. Inuyasha laughed and tightened his hold on my hand.

When we hit the other side of the well, I was instantly filled with nostalgia. "This is weird," I admitted out loud. Inuyasha touched the stone wall.

"Yeah," he replied. "You haven't been here in two years, but I haven't been here in five." I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"I didn't realize that," I said. Inuyasha sniffed the air. "It smells the same," he said. "The fumes from your metal carriages are just as strong."

I laughed and lightly swatted his chest. He chuckled and lifted me up. "Let's go," he said as he jumped out of the well.

The shrine looked almost the same aside from a few new flowers. I smiled at the familiar house and the present day Goshinboku.

"I can't believe we're back," I breathed. We had just started walking toward the house when I heard a gasp.

"Nee-chan?" a voice called in disbelief. I turned around and saw my now fourteen-year-old brother staring at Inuyasha and me with wide eyes. "Sota," I called back.

Tears started to stream down Sota's cheeks as he ran towards me and pulled me into a hug. He was almost as tall as me and that thought alone made me start to cry, too. After a few moments, Sota pulled back with a huge smile on his face.

"Why are you here?" he asked incredulously. "I'm so happy to see you, nee-chan."

Sota turned to Inuyasha and without any warning, he ran up and hugged him. Inuyasha looked taken aback, but he just patted my brother's back, if not a bit awkwardly.

"Hey, Inu-no-nii-chan," Sota said. Inuyasha glanced at me with an uncomfortable look on his face. "Uh, hey, Sota," he replied. I had to choke back a laugh.

Sota let go of Inuyasha and turned to me again. It was then that he must have noticed my fuller figure.

"Nee-chan," Sota began when he saw my stomach, "are you…?" I smiled and nodded.

"Inuyasha and I got married about a year and a half ago," I replied. "I'm pregnant with our first child. That's why we came." Sota let out a whoop.

"I'm gonna be an uncle!" he shouted. "Wait until Mom hears. She's gonna flip out!" Sota smiled brightly and reached his hand out. "Can I…?" he asked. I smiled back at him and nodded.

Sota gently set his hand on my baby bump and rubbed it lightly. "I can't believe it, nee-chan," he said quietly. "This is amazing."

I put my hand over my little brother's and felt tears in my eyes again. "I missed you," I said. Sota turned his face up to meet my eyes and he smiled. He took his hand off of my stomach and hugged me again.

"I missed you, too," he replied quietly.

"Come on!" he exclaimed as he took my hand and started pulling me toward the house. "Let's go see Mom!"

I wasn't too surprised to see that the interior of the house hadn't really changed. The same family portraits were up. A few school pictures of Sota had been added, but that was about it. I smiled at my childhood home and looked around for my mother.

"Mom!" Sota shouted as soon as Inuyasha and I had come inside. "I'll be down in a second," Mom called back from upstairs. I squeezed Inuyasha's hand and felt like I was about to burst from excitement.

"What is it, Sota?" Mom asked when she came downstairs. When she saw Inuyasha and me, she froze. A look of utter shock passed across her face, but she soon shook herself from it and ran to me.

"Kagome," she whispered in my ear when she pulled me into a tight hug. I started to cry again and I knew the rest of the day was going to be just as tearful.

Mom pulled back after a few moments to quickly hug Inuyasha. She turned back to me and had a bright smile on her face.

"Kagome, dear," she began, "how have you two been?" She looked like she was about to say more when she caught sight of my torso and her eyes widened. I guess I was showing a lot more than I thought.

"Are you pregnant?" she asked. I smiled and nodded.

"Inuyasha and I got married not long after I returned to the past," I replied. "Now we're expecting our first child." Mom's eyes filled with tears and she pulled me and Inuyasha into a hug.

"Can you imagine me as a grandmother?" she asked as she pulled away from us. "And you two as parents?" She laughed. "I hope the baby has your ears, my giri no musuko!" Inuyasha looked a little embarrassed. "We'll have to see," he replied.

Something rubbed up against my leg and I glanced down to an older and much fatter version of the cat. "Buyo!" I exclaimed when I saw him.

Inuyasha grinned and bent down to pet him. "Don't be too rough," I scolded playfully. My husband glanced up at me and smirked. "No promises," he replied.

The sight of Buyo made me realize that there was someone missing.

"Where's Grandpa?" I asked. Sota and Mom exchanged a look.

(Quick Author's Note: I have no clue what happened with the random font change. I'm not sure how to fix it right now, so I'm just going ahead and posting this chapter so you guys can at least read it even though it looks weird xD I'll come back in and try to fix it at a later time. For now, it's going to stay this way. So sorry!)

"Oh, Kagome," Mom replied. "He passed away last year. His heart finally gave out." A tiny gasp escaped my mouth and I once again felt my eyes fill with tears. "I can't believe it," I whispered.

Inuyasha stood up and reached out to wrap an arm around my waist. I struggled to keep the tears from overflowing.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Inuyasha said. "He was a good man." Mom nodded. "Yes," she replied. "It was sudden, but peaceful. He passed away in his sleep." I wiped my eyes and tried to smile.

Mom smiled back at me. "Kagome," she said, "He was so proud of you." I nodded, unable to speak through the tears.

We were all quiet for a moment and then Mom took us outside to look at Grandpa's bonsai trees. They were green and beautiful and I knew that he would have wanted us to keep moving forward without him.

After we looked at the trees and I had stopped crying, Mom clapped her hands together. "I bet you two are hungry," she said. Her eyes focused on me. "Especially you, dear. You're eating for two now." I laughed and nodded.

"Yes, I am," I replied. "And Inuyasha is always hungry." We laughed as Mom led us into the kitchen.

As we ate, she and Sota caught us up on things in the present. Ayumi, Yuka, and Eri were still in University, and Mom said that they were doing well and that they came around from time to time.

Despite me missing them, I was glad they didn't drop by when Inuyasha and I were there. It would have been a little difficult to explain my priestess garb and the pregnancy it was hiding.

"How far along are you, Kagome?" Mom asked. I paused to think about it. "I think around six months," I replied.

Mom frowned. "You mean you're not certain?" she asked. I shook my head.

"In the past, there isn't really a way to get an exact measurement from the beginning of the pregnancy to the end," I replied. "We've had to base what we know on the methods they have in the past and how big my bump gets. We're pretty sure it's around six months though."

Mom nodded and her frowned turned up a bit. "Do you want me to take you to the doctor?" she asked kindly. "We could get you a few tips on prenatal care."

"Pre-nay-what?" Inuyasha asked. I laughed. "It's a special medical practice for pregnant women," I explained. "It helps to make sure everything is going okay with the pregnancy." Inuyasha thought about it for a moment.

"You should do that," he said seriously. Mom and I laughed at his eagerness. "I'll be fine," I replied. "Kaede and Sango are very good at helping." Inuyasha didn't look convinced, but he dropped it.

We talked well into the evening until I began yawning. Mom noticed my fatigue and set her gaze on Inuyasha and me.

"Why don't you two stay the night?" she asked. "You can sleep here and then we can all have breakfast together in the morning before you go."

I looked at Inuyasha and smiled. "That sounds good," he replied with a nod at Mom.

As Sota got ready for bed and Mom was cleaning up the kitchen, I led Inuyasha up to my old room. I was curious to see if it had been changed at all.

When I opened the door, I saw that it was the exact same as two years ago when I had left it. "Wow," I breathed when I walked in. "It's so strange being here."

Inuyasha went to sit on my bed. He sighed with a smile on his face and lay back with his head on my pillow.

"I forgot how comfortable your bed is," he said. I laughed and went to lie next to him. He scooted closer to the wall and made room for me. When he had his arm around me and we were comfortably lying there, we fell into a peaceful silence.

"Are you sure you don't want to go see that doctor your mom was talking about?" he asked. I turned my head so I could look at him. "No, it's okay," I replied. "I'm not too worried about it."

"What do they do?" he asked. "Is it stuff that's better than at home?" I paused for a moment.

"Well, yes," I admitted. "The technology is much more advanced and they have better equipment. The doctors here have machines that allow you to see the baby and hear its heartbeat." Inuyasha looked surprised.

"Wow," he replied. "You don't want to do that?" I shrugged. "It would be incredible to see," I replied. "But I'd rather spend time with you and my family during this visit instead of being in a doctor's office." I laughed. "It would also be hard to explain a yokai-baby anyway." Inuyasha nodded but still looked pensive.

"The machines let you see the baby?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah," I replied. "It's called a sonogram. It's a black and white sort of picture of the baby."

Inuyasha reached down and touched my stomach. "And you can hear the heartbeat with one of those machines?" he asked. I nodded. "That would have been cool," I replied honestly. "But it's okay." Inuyasha scoffed.

"Keh," he said. "My ears could probably heart better than a stupid machine." My eyes widened as an idea struck me.

"Do you want to try?" I asked. Inuyasha looked confused.

"Try the machine?" he asked. "Kagome, I'm not pregnant. It probably wouldn't work too well." I laughed and gently swatted his arm.

"No, baka," I replied. "I meant listening to the heartbeat with your ears." Inuyasha looked skeptical.

"I was kidding about that," he said. "It might not work." I shrugged.

"We could at least try it," I replied. Inuyasha nodded and I stood up.

I lifted up my haori and motioned to a spot on my stomach. "Put your head right here," I said.

Inuyasha leaned down and gently pulled my hips toward him so he could lay his head on my enlarged abdomen. I guided his head down slightly so he was at the spot where I figured the doctor would have put the ultrasound monitor.

"Do you hear anything?" I asked. Inuyasha gently squeezed my hips. "Not if you're talking, baka," he replied. I giggled and tried to be quiet.

Nothing happened for a moment. Suddenly, Inuyasha inhaled a sharp gasp. His grip on my lower body tightened as he pulled me closer.

I looked down to see his eyes had closed and his face was full of concentration.

"I can hear it," he murmured. He anchored his hand in the small of my back gently adjusted his grip on me. After a few minutes, he lifted his head off of my stomach and looked up at me. "I can hear the heartbeat," he said incredulously. He looked like he couldn't quite believe it. I laughed.

"It's cool, right?" I asked. "That's normal these days. They just use a monitor instead of dog ears." Inuyasha stood up and wrapped me in his arms. He didn't speak; he just held me.

After a few moments, we lay back down on my bed. Inuyasha's hand gently rubbed my bump as I cuddled against him.

"Are you happy we came?" Inuyasha asked a few moments later. "Yes," I replied sincerely. "Thank you, Inuyasha. This was amazing." Inuyasha smiled and bent down to kiss me. When we pulled away, I remembered something about this era.

"I'm gonna go take a shower," I exclaimed suddenly as I sat up. Inuyasha looked up at me and rolled his eyes. "Why don't we just go to a hot springs when we get home?" he asked.

I pretended to glare at him. "We're here in this time period with running water and a heater," I replied. "I'm taking a shower." Inuyasha finally chuckled at me and shook his head. I smiled and got up to take a shower.

By the time I finished my shower, Inuyasha was fast asleep on my bed. I smiled at his peaceful figure and began to dress myself.

I picked up my Miko garb and went to put it on, but then I remembered how comfortable my old pajamas were. The dresser drawer with my pajamas in it was staring me down, so I walked over and rummaged through it.

I tried to find my baggiest pajamas so I wouldn't be squeezed until I popped, and when I found a good set, I slipped them on.

I had to keep myself from sighing out loud. They were so comfortable…I considered taking a pair home with me.

Once I was dressed in the pajamas, I went downstairs to see if Mom was still up.

I found her in the kitchen watering some of her plants. I smiled at her quiet humming and sat down at the table.

Mom came to sit across from me and smiled. "So tell me, dear. How are you? How is your life?"

I filled Mom in on everything: what it was like when I got back, when Inuyasha told me he loved me, everything with Kikyo, and I was especially detailed about the proposal.

"Thank you for the letter," I said. "It meant so much to me." Mom smiled and took my hand. "I meant every word, dear," she replied. I continued to tell her about what each day holds for Inuyasha and I.

"Things are peaceful," I told her. "After all of the battles and pain, we're happy." Mom squeezed my hand and smiled again. "I'm so glad, Kagome," she said.

We talked for a little while longer. I showed Mom the necklace Inuyasha made for me and she gave me some pregnancy tips that I would definitely be using.

When I finally felt like I was about to fall asleep at the table, Mom told me I should get some rest and we stood up.

Mom came around to hug me and I held onto her tightly. When she pulled away, she rubbed my baby bump and smiled.

We made our way upstairs and with one last hug, we parted to our rooms.

I opened my door and saw that Inuyasha was gone. I walked over to the window he had obviously left open and peeked outside. There was no sign of Inuyasha.

Wherever he had gone, I knew he would be back. I got into my bed and tucked myself in the covers while making sure I left enough room for Inuyasha.

With that, I fell asleep.

"Kagome?" a voice said. I opened my eyes slowly and stifled a yawn. Inuyasha was sitting on my bed and leaning over me. "What?" I whispered back. "I'm trying to sleep." Inuyasha chuckled and patted my arm.

"Get up," he said. I groaned and opened my eyes again. "Fine," I replied. I sat up and looked at Inuyasha.

"This better be good," I said, half-kidding. Inuyasha smirked and motioned for me to get onto his back. When I did, he made his way to the window and jumped out.

"Where are we going?" I asked. Inuyasha glanced back at me and smiled. "We're going to a place in your village," he replied. "There's something I want to show you."

Inuyasha ran through the streets of Tokyo until we reached a small park. He put me down and took my hand to lead me through the grass. It was well into the night, so there were string lights hanging up around the park. The night was comfortably warm; Mom had told me that it was the month of April. It was my favorite month, so it was a perfect time for Inuyasha and I to visit.

"What is it that you want to show me?" I asked as we walked. Inuyasha just looked at me and smiled. "You'll see," he replied.

We walked for a few more minutes until we came to an area I didn't recognize. When I saw it, I gasped.

It was full of beautiful sakura trees.

"Wow," I murmured as I took in the beautiful sight. "I've never seen this part of the park before," I said. Inuyasha smiled and wrapped his arm around me.

"You were still in the shower when I woke up, so I went down to talk to your mom," Inuyasha replied. "She mentioned that the park had planted new sakura trees and that it was the time of year they bloomed, and I know you love them, so I figured I'd bring you." I turned to Inuyasha and wrapped my arms around him.

"This is amazing!" I exclaimed. "I miss seeing them bloom every year." I was in awe. I'd never seen so many sakura trees in one place.

After I'd walked around and looked at every tree, Inuyasha and I sat down under a particularly large sakura and just admired the sight.

"This is perfect," I said quietly. Inuyasha kissed the top of my head and I put my hand on top of his.

I fell into a peaceful sleep under the sakura tree with Inuyasha.

I woke up the next morning in my childhood bedroom and thought I was dreaming for a moment. When I remembered everything, I smiled and sighed contentedly.

Soon after Inuyasha and I woke up, we headed downstairs.

"Good morning, dears!" Mom called when Inuyasha and I made our way to the kitchen. Mom came over to hug me and pat Inuyasha on the head. I smirked at Inuyasha and he rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

Inuyasha sat down at the table and I started to help Mom cook. Sota came down when we were almost done with breakfast, and I was surprised to see he wasn't dressed for school.

"Are you sick?" I asked. Sota looked confused. "It's Saturday, nee-chan," he replied. _When was the last time I used the name of a day?_ I wondered.

"Oh," I said. "We don't have names for days or months in the past." Sota's eyes widened.

"Really?" he asked. I nodded. "Time is calculated by season," I explained. Sota looked intrigued. "That's so weird," he said. I shrugged. "It can be confusing, but it's become normal," I admitted.

"Everything is ready!" Mom exclaimed. We set the food out and everyone started eating. As we ate, I had a great time being with my family. An ache had begun to set in, though. Our time together was coming to an end.

I helped Mom with the dishes after we ate, and once everything was done, I knew it was time for Inuyasha and I to get back.

"We should probably go," I said reluctantly. Mom looked disappointed, but she nodded. "Okay, dear," she replied. "I'm so happy you two came to visit."

We all hugged goodbye again, and I had to admit that it was funny watching Inuyasha stiffly hug my mom back. He wasn't really touchy-feely unless it was with me, but the fact that he was still making an effort for the family he hadn't seen in so long made me happy.

Mom and Sota walked us to the well and we said our last goodbyes.

"I'm not sure when or even _if_ we'll be able to return again," I told them. "It most likely wouldn't be until the baby comes, and I'm not sure if we'll be able to travel then." Mom nodded.

"I understand, dear," she replied. "Just spoil my grandchild for me, okay?" I laughed and promised Mom that I would.

With a final wave, Inuyasha and I jumped into the well and transported to the other side. When our feet planted on the firm ground, I pulled Inuyasha into a hug.

"Thank you," I said. "It was wonderful." Inuyasha held me close and I could hear the smile in his voice when he spoke. "I knew it would lift your spirits."

With a final squeeze, Inuyasha picked me up and jumped out of the well. He took my hand when we came up out of the well and we began to head home.

To be continued…

*sighs* I like this chapter a lot.

What do you guys think about my take on the well? Sound plausible?

Also, I was thinking about putting up another fic with little one-shots and drabbles of Kagome's pregnancy. I wasn't able to really go into too much detail in this chapter or the rest of the fic. I just couldn't find good spots. Your thoughts?

Much love. :)


	25. Baby Plans

This is a really short chapter because of how I combined other chapters and stuff. I was going to try and somehow combine it with the next one, but that wouldn't work too well so I just stuck with the short version. I'll upload the next chapter after this one right away because I know this is weirdly short, but I think it's still a good one!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 25: Baby Plans

The months flew by, and before we knew it, Sango had her baby, a boy named Yohei, and it was almost time for Kagome to have our baby. Kaede told us that it could come any day now, so we'd been preparing ourselves for the delivery.

Kagome and I took a walk one evening after we got our house clean and ready for the baby. Well, I walked and Kagome waddled. She'd gotten pretty big in the last few months. When I told her that, she punched me on the arm.

She'd gotten kind of nervous over the last couple of weeks. I think seeing Sango give birth sort of freaked her out a bit, so I've been trying to keep her mind from straying into any negative thoughts she might have.

As we made our way down to the Sacred Tree, I took Kagome's hand and held it tightly. When we reached the tree, I helped Kagome sit down at the base and I took my spot next to her. I reached over and put my hand on her stomach. She laid her hand over mine and smiled.

"How are you feeling?" I asked her. Kagome sighed. "Huge," she replied. "But I'm okay."

I smiled. "You're still as beautiful as ever," I said. She blushed. "Stop it," she said playfully. Then all of a sudden, she gasped.

"What's wrong?" I asked worriedly. Kagome looked at me, her face bright. "The baby just kicked!" she exclaimed. Kagome had told me before that the baby kicked her from time to time, but I had never been able to feel the movement. Kagome said she thinks the baby must be shy.

Yeah, okay.

"Really?" I asked. "Yeah, feel it," she replied.

She took my hand and moved it down to the side of her stomach. I felt a soft movement on my hand. "Did you feel that?" she asked. I looked at her incredulously, nodded, and looked back at her stomach.

"Wow," I said. Kagome smiled brightly. "I know," she replied happily.

"This is…my kid. This is _our_ kid," I said, really letting it sink in. Kagome smiled. "Finally," she replied. I looked back at her and smiled.

"I have a good name," she said suddenly. I looked at her. "What?" I replied. Kagome smiled and took my hand.

"Izayoi."

My eyes widened. "My mother's name?" I asked. Kagome nodded and her smile grew. "That sounds nice," I said in a voice full of emotion.

Kagome leaned her head on my shoulder and I kissed her hair. "What do you think our child will look like?" she asked.

"Honestly, I don't know," I replied. "She's only a quarter yokai, so she may look pretty human."

I thought for a moment. "It's like Miroku said when we first told everyone. I actually don't think I've ever heard of a hanyo and a human having a child."

"Well, we must be a pretty cool couple," Kagome replied. I smiled. "Agreed," I said.

Kagome suddenly tensed. "What's wrong?" I asked, alarmed.

"Inuyasha…" She stopped and took a deep, painful sounding breath. "What is it, Kagome?" I asked, trying to figure out what to do.

She looked up at me, the pain evident on her face. "The baby," she said. "It's coming."

To be continued…

So, yeah super short chapter, but I think it's cute!

Izayoi isn't canon to the manga so I was a little hesitant to use it, but it's the closest I've got! It's from one of the Inuyasha movies, which I hate tbh. They're just…not good lol. To me, at least. If you like them, then go for it xD Anyway, I used Izayoi anyway just because it's all that's available and I _really_ wanted to use Inuyasha's mother's name.

And also, I'm going to go ahead and start a little fic with the different one-shots/drabbles about Kagome's pregnancy. Keep an eye out for that within the next few days!

Much love. :)


	26. Almost Parents

I guess I had forgotten that the last next few chapters are actually pretty short, so I'll upload up until the birth (don't you love me for that?). Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 26: Almost Parents

Inuyasha and I had decided to name the baby after his mother, and seeing how much it meant to him was worth every uncomfortable pregnant moment I'd had.

Just as we had been discussing what the baby might be like, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I let out a cry of pain, and that's when I knew.

"Inuyasha," I said. "The baby is coming!" Inuyasha's face drained of color. "Now?" he asked.

"Yes, now!" I shrieked. I could already feel my pants begin to wet. "Oh, crap," I said. I stood up and felt liquid running down my legs. Inuyasha looked at my pants.

"Did you just pee yourself?" he asked. I rolled my eyes and would've punched him if I could move.

"No, baka!" I shouted. "My water just broke! The baby is coming right now!"

Inuyasha quickly rose and picked me up. He ran through the clearing and back toward our house.

"Can you, like, hold it in?" he asked as he ran. I glared at him. "No!" I replied. Another wave of intense pain came across me.

I squeezed my eyes shut. "Kagome," Inuyasha said. "Are you in a lot of pain?" I nodded.

"Yeah, but it's okay." I looked up at him. "It'll be worth it soon." Inuyasha still looked incredibly worried, but he nodded.

When we finally reached our house, my contractions had intensified.

Inuyasha carefully set me down on the clean sheet we'd set out for the delivery.

"Kagome, I'm going to get Kaede and Sango," he said. "Will you be okay for a minute without me?" I nodded.

"Yeah, just hurry." With that, he ran out.

In between the contractions, it hit me that I was about to have a child. Everything that's happened in the last six years has just been leading up to this point. It made me smile despite the pain.

"Kagome!" I heard voices outside. Inuyasha ran in with Kaede and Sango hot on his trail. Inuyasha came over and knelt by my head.

"Are you doing okay?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright." Inuyasha took my hand and I squeezed it.

"Okay, Kagome," Kaede said once she and Sango had checked everything out. That was a little embarrassing, but I was in too much pain to care. "It's time to push." Sango quickly squeezed my free hand.

"You can do it, Kagome," she said encouragingly. I smiled at her and turned to Inuyasha. He looked down at me and smiled.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied, hoping that the kid would just slide out of there easily. But then again maybe that was asking for too much.

So I just started to push.

To be continued…

Eek! She's coming!

Much love. :)


	27. The Birth

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 27: The Birth

Kagome's screams echoed in the room. I knew she was in pain and I hated that all I could do was hold her hand. She squeezed tighter than I thought she'd be able to.

After about forty-five minutes, the first cries came from where Kaede and Sango were. I looked down and saw the baby in Kaede's arms. "It's a girl," she said with a wide smile. Tears welled up in my eyes as Kaede handed her to me. Her cries entranced me as I was filled with a new, unfamiliar love for this child.

I turned to Kagome so she could see the baby. Kagome's eyes brightened when she saw her face, and tears fell down her cheeks.

"I told you it would be girl," I said to Kagome.

Kagome laughed as she reached out a hand to touch the baby. "It's little Izayoi," she said.

Izayoi's little eyes opened and I saw they were the same color as Kagome's. Her hair was already long and silver like mine. Kagome smoothed her hair back as if she was looking for something.

"Inuyasha," she said with a gasp. "She has your ears!"

Sure enough, my daughter had inherited my dog ears. I was a little conflicted; I'd almost hoped she'd look completely human, but she was beautiful and perfect so I decided to forget about it.

Kaede and Sango gave us some quick congratulations, and then they left to give the three of us some time alone.

"She's quiet," Kagome commented. I touched Izayoi's ears.

"It's because she's listening," I explained. "See how her ears are moving around?" It was just like what my mother had told me I did when I was first born.

Kagome peered at our baby's ears and nodded.

"Oh," she replied quietly. "Do you think she's…uncomfortable?" I shook my head.

"If she was uncomfortable then she'd be crying," I whispered. "We just need to be quiet for a little while until she gets used to everything."

Kagome and I slipped into a comfortable silence as we watched Izayoi. She stayed quiet for a little while longer, and then she began to cry.

At first I was worried because Mother never told me what she did after I started crying, but Kagome knew exactly what to do. She was just hungry.

As Kagome fed her, I felt a sense of contentment.

We were a family now. Things could only go up from here.

Two days after Izayoi was born, Kagome said she was up to having people over.

Kaede, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo came in with Rin following close behind.

"She's beautiful!" Rin said when she saw Izayoi. "I'm so sad that I missed the birth. Lord Sesshomaru and I returned from our trip the evening you had her." Kagome reached out and touched Rin's hand.

"It's okay, Rin," she replied kindly. "I'm sure we'll have another baby later. You can be there for the next one." Kagome looked at me and we shared a private smile.

Everyone gathered us and admired the baby. Izayoi was passed around and held and cooed over.

This baby was loved, and Kagome and I relished in it.

When I had run to get Kaede and Sango after Kagome went into labor, I had honestly begun to worry not just about the birth, but about everything after. I worried about the stigma Izayoi would face because her yokai blood, and I couldn't help but think about the shunning she would face.

Now, looking around at everyone, I realized that I didn't need to worry. Izayoi was surrounded by people that loved her and would never abandon her.

With this new sense of peace, we all gazed at Izayoi and looked ahead to the happy life she would have.

To be continued…

And then there were three. Yay!

Alrighty, so I'm gonna stop for today, but hopefully I'll be able to upload more tomorrow.

Much love. :)


	28. Baby's Cry

This is another time that I'll upload a few at once because they flow together.

The next two chapters are based off of a short comic I saw a couple years ago. I can't for the life of me remember who it was by, but I immediately put the concept in my fic because I loved it so much. This is a much more detailed take on it because there are no pictures, duh, and also I wanted to do my best to adopt it as my own instead of copying it word for word from what I can remember from the original comic.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 28: Baby's Cry

Our first week as parents went pretty smoothly. Izayoi had a well working set of lungs on her, and she liked to keep us awake at night. It was worth it, though, to be able to watch her sleep peacefully. I liked to see her little ears twitch in her sleep; it reminded me of Inuyasha.

We were both pretty exhausted from being up most of the night, but Izayoi was finally asleep so Inuyasha and I tried to get some rest. A thunderstorm was raging outside, and lightning peeked in through the windows every few minutes.

Just as Inuyasha and I had almost fallen asleep, a loud crack of thunder came from outside of the house. Izayoi instantly started crying. Sighing, I sat up.

"I got her," I said. Inuyasha sat up beside me. "No, it's okay," he replied. "I'll get her. You go back to sleep."

I looked at him. "Are you sure?" I asked. He smiled and nodded. "Okay," I agreed. I lay back down and closed my eyes.

Inuyasha stood up and walked over to where Izayoi was. I heard him pick her up and sit down next to her baby-futon.

"Hey, kiddo," he said kindly. "Your mom is trying to sleep and you know she gets cranky when she's tired." I sat up.

"Hey," I said, irritated. "No, I don't."

"You're not helping your case," he replied with a playful smirk. I couldn't help laughing as I lay back down.

A few minutes later, Izayoi was still crying in Inuyasha's arms.

"Come on, Izy," he said soothingly. I smiled at the nickname he'd given her a few hours after she'd been born. "Don't cry."

Izayoi's cries softened, but they still continued. It was just quiet enough for me to start drifting off. Before I could, a new sound added to Izayoi's cries. A soft voice was singing a lullaby across the room. _Is Inuyasha singing?_ I wondered to myself. I quietly listened as he sang a soft melody.

To be continued…

Much love. :)


	29. Lullaby

I adore this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 29: Lullaby

Izayoi woke Kagome and me up when she heard the thunder outside. Kagome was especially tired that night, so I told her I would get up with Izayoi. Even when I had her in my arms, she continued to cry. It made me a little worried that I wasn't doing the whole Dad thing right, so I tried to think of something to calm her down.

I thought back to my childhood and what my mother used to do, and a familiar tune came into my mind as I remembered a lullaby she would always sing. I glanced over at Kagome to see if she was asleep. Her breathing was even, so I figured she was.

I looked back down at Izayoi. _I can't believe I'm doing this._ I thought. I started to sing the lullaby in a quiet voice so I wouldn't wake up Kagome. The words were a little hazy; I hadn't heard the song since my mother was alive, but I found it easy to recall.

 _"_ _Little child, be not afraid. The rain pounds harsh against the glass like an unwanted stranger, there is no danger. I am here tonight. Little child, be not afraid. Though thunder explodes and lighting flashes illuminate your tear-stained face, I am here tonight._

I paused to look at little Izy. Her cries were starting to fade, so I kept singing.

 _"_ _For you know, once even I was a little child, and I was afraid, but a gentle someone always came to dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears, and to give a kiss goodnight. Now I am grown, and these years have shown that rain's a part of how life goes, but it's dark and it's late, so I'll hold you and wait until your frightened eyes do close._

Izayoi's eyes began to close as I sang the last verse.

 _In the morning, everything's fine in the morning. The rain will be gone in the morning, but I'll still be here in the morning."_

When I stopped singing, Izayoi was fast asleep.

I gently set her back down and watched her for a few moments. Smiling, I stood up and made my way back to where Kagome slept.

Childhood memories of my mother came rushing back, and I remembered all the times she'd sang that song to me.

She had stayed in my heart through everything, and I was glad that a piece of her remained.

I got under the blanket and kissed Kagome gently on the forehead. Then, I went to sleep.

To be continued…

Song: Lullaby for a Stormy Night by Vienna Teng.

I strongly urge you to listen to this song. The words are beautiful, and it's the kind of song you can listen to over and over. I absolutely love it.

This next chapter pretty much ties everything from this part of their lives together, so I want to go ahead and get it posted!

Much love. :)


	30. Happiness

This is just basically the wrap-up of this time in their lives. Enjoy it, and I'll explain more at the end of this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 30: Happiness

I was surprised when I realized that Inuyasha was singing to Izayoi. His voice was quiet and comforting, and I found myself in awe at his gentleness. I could feel how much he loved her as he sang, so I kept still and quiet so his lullaby wouldn't be disturbed.

When he stopped, I tried to commit the words to my memory. They were beautiful, and I figured it was something that Inuyasha's mother had sung to him when he was little.

The next morning, I had him teach me the song. Now, we sing it together to our baby every night.

Time passed quickly, and now, at eighteen months old, Izayoi has begun to toddle. Inuyasha is good about chasing her around and keeping her busy while I try and accomplish all my Miko duties. Every second is worth it. We're really happy.

Last month, Inuyasha and I found out that I was pregnant again. He swears it'll be a boy, and I believe him. Inuyasha suggested naming him Sota, and we're eagerly awaiting his arrival.

Our family finds itself in front of the Sacred Tree most days. As Izayoi plays, Inuyasha and I sit at the base and watch her happily.

"Kagome?" he said. I turned to him. "Yes?" I replied. He looked deep into my eyes. "Thanks for staying with me," he said. I smiled and kissed his cheek. "I love you," I replied simply.

To be continued…

In addition to the pregnancy fic with the one-shots/drabbles, I'll be writing another similar fic about Izayoi and baby Sota's childhoods. Keep an eye out for both!

On a sad note…there are only 2 chapters left in Our Own Time. *wipes tear* They take place many years after this part of Kagome and Inuyasha's story.

This isn't the end, though! I have 2 spin-off fics that I will be uploading as soon as possible once OOT is finished, and they're set in the canon of OOT. I do have an AU fic that I'll upload eventually. I have lots more to share with you, my loves.

Much love. :)


	31. Remembering Old Times

Every girl wants to hear about her parents' love story, right? Well, teenaged Izayoi is just the same.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 31: Remembering Old Times

"Hey, Mom?" Izayoi's voice came from behind me. I was sitting in front of a pot in our house; it was starting to get chilly, so I figured everyone could use some warm soup.

I turned around and smiled at my thirteen-year-old daughter. "What's up, Izayoi?" I replied. She looked a little shy.

"How did you and Dad meet?" she asked. Her blue-gray eyes that she'd inherited from me were shining. I was a little caught off guard; Izayoi didn't usually ask questions about my and Inuyasha's past. At least, not the part of our past that didn't include her.

I laughed. "That's a complicated story," I replied. Izayoi came over and sat across from me. "I think I'll be able to keep up," she said.

I smiled. "Okay," I replied. Izayoi got settled and smiled back at me. "I'm ready," she said.

I began to recall everything. "The first thing you should know is that I'm not originally from here," I began. "I'm from a place called Tokyo." Izayoi made a face.

"That's a weird name," she replied. "I've never heard of it."

"In about five-hundred years, it will be the capital of Japan." Izayoi's eyes widened.

" _In five hundred years_?" she repeated. I stirred the soup and tried not to laugh.

"I'm from the future," I said. Izayoi's skepticism was obvious. "You're joking, right?" she asked. I shook my head.

"No," I replied. "You know about the Bone Eater's Well? That's what brought me here when I was fifteen. I passed through that well the first time I came to our village." Izayoi looked skeptical, but I kept talking.

"I had a jewel inside of me that allowed transport from this world to my original one," I continued. "When I arrived here, I found your father stuck to a tree by an arrow. He'd been sealed to Goshinboku for fifty years."

Izayoi looked at me in disbelief. "Who trapped him there?" she asked.

"A very powerful Miko named Kikyo," I replied. "I'm the reincarnation of her."

Izayoi's look of disbelief grew. "You're the reincarnation of Lady Kikyo?" she asked. I nodded and felt my smile fade a bit.

"Yes," I replied, "but don't let that confuse you. I am not Kikyo and Kikyo was not me." Izayoi looked a little taken aback at my sudden change in demeanor, but it was so tiring to have to correct people on the fact that I most certainly am not Kikyo. I needed her to understand that.

Izayoi nodded. "Okay," she said. "But why did Lady Kikyo seal Dad to the tree?"

"A demon named Naraku tricked Inuyasha and Kikyo into believing that they had each betrayed each other, so Kikyo sealed your dad to Goshinboku." Izayoi looked like she was starting to believe me.

"Is that why there's a scar on the tree?" she asked. I nodded.

"Once I broke the curse, Inuyasha was free," I said. "He wanted the jewel so he could become a full yokai. He never liked being a hanyo, and since the jewel could make any yokai stronger, Inuyasha wanted to use it for himself."

Izayoi went back to looking skeptical. "That doesn't sound like Dad," she said. I smiled.

"This was over twenty years ago," I replied. "He's changed a lot." Izayoi smiled back at me. "Keep going!" she said excitedly. I laughed.

"Well, Inuyasha started wreaking havoc on everyone as he looked for the jewel," I said. "Once it was discovered that the jewel was inside of me, a centipede yokai cut it out. After your dad killed that yokai, he chased me as I ran away with the jewel. Kaede, who passed away when you were just a baby, bewitched a necklace to subjugate him. Once it was on, I was the only one that could take it off. My word of subjugation stopped him from getting too out of control."

Izayoi laughed. "Is that what makes him fall when you say ' _osuwari_?'" she asked. I smiled and nodded.

She suddenly went from amused to confused. "But wait," she said. "Why didn't you take it off when he turned good?"

I blushed a little. "Inuyasha told me a few years later that he wanted to keep it," I replied. "He said it was a constant connection to me. He grew to love it."

Izayoi clapped her hands together. "That's so cute!" she squealed. I giggled and continued the story.

"Not long after that, I accidentally shattered the jewel and the pieces were strewn all over the country." I felt my smile turn sheepish. "That was bad." Izayoi giggled.

"You're still just as clumsy," she replied. I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. "That's what your dad says," I said.

"Kaede told us that the only way to find the jewel was to work together, so we did," I continued. "Along the way we met Miroku, Sango, and Shippo. They helped us with the search and we eventually defeated Naraku together."

Izayoi paused for a moment to take it all in. "Wow," she commented. "So when did you and dad fall in love? Was it love at first sight?"

I laughed and shook my head. "Not exactly," I replied.

Just then, Inuyasha walked in. "Hey," he said to us. "It's freezing outside." I met his eyes and smiled. "I made soup," I replied. Inuyasha came over as I got him a bowl. He kissed me on the cheek and sat down.

"You're the best," he said. I blushed.

"Where's Sota?" I asked. Our eleven-year-old son was usually always with Inuyasha.

"He's at Miroku and Sango's house with their kids and Shippo," Inuyasha replied. "The girls were fawning over his ears again."

Izayoi had gotten Inuyasha's hair, ears, and my eyes, and Sota had gotten Inuyasha's eyes and my hair. He also had similar yokai abilities to Inuyasha, which had been a surprise to all of us.

"So, Dad," Izayoi began. Inuyasha looked up at her as he took a bite of soup. "Mom was just telling me about how you met." Inuyasha smirked.

"That's a pretty crazy story," he replied. I smiled at him. "I gave her a fairly condensed version," I said. Izayoi looked at us expectantly.

"Then I asked Mom when you two fell in love," she continued. "Was it love at first sight for you?" Inuyasha made a face.

"No way," he said. I laughed and playfully swatted his arm.

"That's what I tried to tell her," I added. Izayoi swept past that remark.

"Well, when did you realize that things had changed?" I looked at Inuyasha. "You tell her first," I said. Inuyasha smiled at me and turned to Izayoi.

"For me, it was when we were fighting a yokai called Yura of the Hair," he began. "She was a weirdo. Anyway, your mom was ready to fight even though she was just a pesky little human."

I swatted Inuyasha again. He grinned and continued.

"When I saw that she had some major guts, I knew that I was a goner. She was really brave that night, and she wound up saving my life."

Izayoi swooned. "That's when you knew you loved her?" she asked. Inuyasha shook his head.

"Not quite," he replied. "I realized it about a month later. We were trapped in a fake monastery by a spider yokai. It was the night of the new moon, so I was more in tune to my human emotions so that might be why I realized it then. Anyway, I was stuck in the web and Kagome was crying because she thought I wasn't going to make it."

Inuyasha paused. "The only person that had ever cried for me was my mother, who you're named after, and it made me realize that Kagome was all of the things I'd been missing. I realized that with Kagome in my life, I had regained the heart that I had lost. That's when I knew."

I smiled and Inuyasha leaned over to kiss me.

"Okay, that's sweet and all, but not in front of me," Izayoi said in disgust. Inuyasha and I pulled away from each other and laughed.

"Sorry," I replied. Izayoi set her gaze on me. "When did you realize it, Mom?" she asked. I hesitated.

"Well…" I began. I turned back to Inuyasha. The moment I had realized I loved him was one that Inuyasha and I had talked about before, but it was still a little painful to remember. He looked at me and nodded.

I turned back to Izayoi and hesitated again. "Is it bad?" she asked. I shook my head.

"No," I replied. "It's just…well, I'll just tell you."

"Hold on a second, Kagome," Inuyasha said as he took my hand and turned to Izayoi.

"Izy, before your mom tells you, there's something you should know," Inuyasha began. "The woman that sealed me to the tree, Kikyo, and I were engaged before Naraku pitted us against each other." Izayoi's eyes widened as Inuyasha continued.

"Kikyo died after she sealed me to the tree," Inuyasha went on to say. "When I woke up fifty years later, I met your mom. Kikyo was resurrected not long after, and even though by then I loved Kagome, Kikyo being back stirred up old feelings. I felt like I owed her my life because she had died because of me, and I let that cloud my judgment. I was constantly trying to see Kikyo, and in doing that, I really hurt your mom."

Izayoi was quiet after hearing this. Inuyasha looked at me with guilt in his eyes. I squeezed his hand and tried to smile.

"But, Izayoi," he continued. "I love your mother with all that I am. Any trace of love or duty I had for Kikyo has nothing on what I feel for your mom." Izayoi nodded and turned to me.

"Okay," she said. "Now that I know that, when did you fall in love with Dad?" With a squeeze of Inuyasha's hand, I told her.

"One night, we got into a big fight," I began. "I left after we argued, and felt stupid once I got home so I came back. I ran into Inuyasha and Kikyo in the forest. They didn't see me, so I hid behind a tree and watched them.

"Inuyasha was saying things to Kikyo and at that moment, I realized that I wanted to hear him say all those things to me. After Kikyo left, Inuyasha saw me and I ran. I went home again and decided that I was never coming back. When I got home, though, there was a deep ache inside of me. At first, I couldn't understand why I was so upset. It wasn't until I stood under Goshinboku on my side that I realized I was in love with Inuyasha. I made the decision to go back and I told him that I would stay by his side no matter what."

Izayoi looked troubled. "That's so bittersweet," she said. I shrugged.

"It all worked out," I replied. "We're fine now."

"So that's when you knew?" Izayoi asked. I smiled and nodded back at her.

"Yes," I replied. "We didn't wind up together until a while later, though. We had our first kiss right before we were separated for three years. The well stopped working after our final battle with Naraku, but luckily it let me come back here and Inuyasha and I were able to pick up where we left off. Not too much later, we got married."

Izayoi finally smiled widely. "That's a nice story," she said. Inuyasha shrugged.

"It's alright," Inuyasha said. I laughed and tugged lightly on one of his ears.

Izayoi stood up and smiled again. "I'm going over to Miroku and Sango's house," she said. "I'll see you soon." Once she was gone, Inuyasha turned to me.

"I'm surprised she believed all that," he said. I chuckled.

"Me, too," I replied. "I figured she'd think we were crazy." Inuyasha nudged me.

"Maybe we are a little crazy," he admitted. "But in the best kind of way." I smiled and leaned in to kiss him.

To be continued…

I like this chapter. Nice for our heroes to remember their many adventures together.

Omg, babies. The final chapter is next.

Much love. :)


	32. Epilogue

This is the final chapter…isn't that weird? It's a bittersweet chapter, but it's closure. That's what my goal has been for this entire fic: closure for what we didn't get to see in the manga.

I know a lot of people dislike the ping-pong of switching viewpoints, but I think you should make an exception this time because it only switches 3 times and this is like, the most important chapter. I'm trying to go out with a bang here, ya know? :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 32: Epilogue

 **Inuyasha:**

Kagome was tired.

That in itself wasn't really anything new. She was tired nearly all the time now. Our kids had come back to our village when things started looking rough with her. By now, she was thin, frail, and sickly.

Kagome was dying.

She had mentioned to me that she'd turned eighty-five last fall, and the whole village was left shocked. Humans very rarely lived that long.

She'd outlived Sango and Miroku. Their deaths from years back had been slaps in the face to me. I didn't have much longer with Kagome and I knew that I couldn't waste it.

Kagome was eighty-five now. Her raven hair had streaks of silver in it and her bones were weak, but she was still beautiful.

 **Kagome:**

I knew that I would be gone within the next few days. It seemed like an innate realization that I'd developed. I didn't need a modern doctor; I had about a week left and then I'd be gone.

But Inuyasha…

My husband of sixty-three years is rarely away from my side. When he isn't with me, my children are.

Izayoi and Sota are grown up now. They've aged similarly to Inuyasha; they barely look fifty-five and fifty-three respectively. By now, they both could pass as twenty-somethings, so I know they still had long lives ahead. I was able to see them have children, and then their children's children, and then even one of our great-great grandchildren. She was named after me and was nearly two years old.

Shippo, now a mighty demon with a wife of his own, was still gentle and kind-hearted. He was with me often, too.

We had already begun saying our goodbyes. For the most part, it hadn't been too hard. It was surprisingly easier than having to say goodbye to Miroku and Sango.

Inuyasha and I took our evening walks to Goshinboku whenever I was up to it, and this evening was one of them. Well, he walked and I rode in his arms bridal-style.

My husband looks different himself. He's taller and has aged nicely. By now, he only looks about forty years old instead of roughly two-hundred-seventy.

Once we had settled in front of Goshinboku with me tucked in Inuyasha's lap, he sighed.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Inuyasha shook his head. "I'm just worried about you," he replied. I smiled and shook my head.

"Don't be," I said. "I'm not in any pain." I could feel my smile fade a little.

"Inuyasha," I began, "there's something I've been meaning to tell you." Inuyasha sensed the change in my voice and pulled slightly back to look in my eyes. His facial expression urged me to go on.

"We know that I'm not going to be around for much longer," I said matter-of-factly. Inuyasha's eyes saddened.

"I know," he murmured. I took one of his hands in both of mine and pulled it to my heart.

"But as for you, Inuyasha," I continued, "you still have many years left in you. You could probably even make it to being three hundred years old." I tried to smirk. "Maybe you'll even outlive Sesshomaru."

Inuyasha half-smiled at my joke but his eyes remained troubled. "What are you getting at?" he asked curiously. I sighed.

"Once I'm gone, you'll be lonely," I told him outright. "I'm not going to sugarcoat it because we both know that you'll grieve. Knowing how loyal and loving you are, you'll want to grieve forever. Other than you and Shippo, the rest of the crazy jewel-hunter kids will all be gone. That's something that will be hard for you." I felt tears in my eyes.

"Inuyasha, please don't suffer when I'm gone," I said in a thick voice. "I don't want you to be lonely. You'll have Shippo and our kids, but I know that won't be enough for you."

Inuyasha ran his hand through my hair. Over the last few years, it had become nearly the same color as his. Shippo once offered to create dog ears for me, but Inuyasha had put his foot down on that one.

"Kagome," he said. "It sounds like you're just stating the obvious. What are you really saying?" I took a deep breath.

"I want you to remarry after I die," I blurted. Inuyasha's eyes widened in shock. He opened his mouth to speak but I rushed on.

"I mean, not as soon as I die," I said quickly. "But after you've grieved for a time, try to pull yourself out of it. I don't want you to lose your heart again."

Tears were freely falling from my eyes. "Inuyasha, you've made me so happy. I've had all these years with you and to leave you alone feels wrong. I want you to be happy even when I'm gone. Don't shut your heart down. I want you to be able to love again."

Inuyasha stayed silent after I'd finished talking. His eyes pierced through mine as a hundred different emotions went through them. After a moment, he shook his head.

"You've never ceased to surprise me with how kind you are," he said. I opened my mouth to say something more, but he held up a hand to stop me.

"I love you more than anything, Kagome," he said sincerely. "My time with you has been nothing short of perfect and I could never ask for anything, or any _one_ , better." Inuyasha gripped my hands.

"Remarrying after your death has never even crossed my mind," he admitted. "There's no point in trying to love anyone again because I won't want to." He shook his head when I tried to protest.

"I'll still love the kids and Shippo, of course," he continued, "but I could never fall _in_ love again. You're the only one, Kagome. There's no one else I would ever want to be with."

I felt a sob escape from my lips and Inuyasha held me closely to him.

"I love you so much," I whispered.

"There's actually something I needed to tell you, too," he murmured into my hair. We pulled back so we could meet eyes again.

"When Miroku and Sango died, it really hit me that you all are human," he began. "I guess I always knew that I'd outlive you all, but I never really thought it about it much. It was just too painful." He rubbed his thumb across my fingers.

"Once they were gone, I began to really think a lot about it," he continued. "Not long after we buried them, I made a decision. I didn't tell you about it because I knew you'd be against it."

He chuckled. "But when has that ever stopped me before?" I laughed lightly and shook my head.

"Anyway," he resumed, "The decision I made seemed impossible considering everything that's happened, but I decided to give up my yokai side."

I gasped audibly. "What?"

Inuyasha nodded solemnly. "I decided to become a human," he said. "It was like a weird, twisted circle. I went to Totosai and asked him about it. He said he'd look into any methods, but that he unsurprisingly had never heard of a yokai or hanyo becoming a human."

I didn't speak. I was too dumbfounded.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked. Inuyasha shrugged.

"It's like I said," he replied. "I knew that you'd be against it because you wouldn't listen to my entire plan." I felt my face twist in suspicion.

"Entire plan?" I repeated. Inuyasha leaned back and removed his arms from around me.

"About a week later," he continued, "I went back to Totosai's place to see if he'd come up with anything." Inuyasha reached into the fold of his haori and pulled out a small vial of liquid.

"He gave me a potion that will turn me human as soon as I drink it," he concluded as he handed me the vial. I took it from him and turned it over in my hands.

"Wow," was all I could muster. Inuyasha watched me until I met his eyes again.

"Why didn't you drink it back then?" I asked. Inuyasha took the potion from me and put it back in his haori.

"Well, it's not a simple potion to take," he explained. "Once I take it, it'll age me completely up to how old I am now within a few hours. I'm about two-hundred-seventy, but physically I think I'm maybe around forty or forty-five. Anyway, once I take the potion, it'll take several hours to kick in. I'll be aged all the way up and once I hit two-hundred-seventy, then my life will be over and I'll die."

Inuyasha put his arms around me again. "Does that make sense?" he asked. I nodded slowly.

"So…you were waiting to take it?" I asked. Inuyasha nodded back at me.

"I couldn't take it back then," he replied with a smirk. "Who else was gonna keep your clumsy butt out of trouble?" I smiled weakly and pondered over his words.

Realization dawned on me. "You're going to take it soon," I said, already knowing it was true. Inuyasha nodded again.

"Yes," he replied. "When you die, I die." I felt tears in my eyes again.

"Inuyasha, I don't want you to do that," I argued sadly. "It's too morbid." Inuyasha shook his head and took my cheeks in his hands.

"Kagome," he said softly. "It'll be okay. I'm ready to move on and I want to move on with you." The look in his eyes said he wasn't budging and I knew better than to try and convince him otherwise.

"Are you sure?" I asked. Inuyasha nodded without hesitation.

"Absolutely," he replied. We went quiet after that as our resolve hung in the air.

When it got too chilly to stay outside, Inuyasha picked me up and started walking back to our house. As we made our way back, I couldn't help but laugh softly. Inuyasha glanced down at me as my laughter got a little louder.

"You're gonna get old," I said. Inuyasha paused to look at me.

"What?" he asked. I tried to stop laughing.

"When you take the potion," I explained, "I'll get to see you get all human-old." My laughter built up again.

"You're going to _hate_ it," I concluded with a final breathy laugh. Inuyasha rolled his eyes but the corners of his mouth tugged up.

"Fine by me," he replied. "Don't old people lose their hearing?" I eyed him and nodded. "Why?" I asked.

Inuyasha breathed a mock sigh of relief. "At least when I'm old, I won't have to hear you nagging me all the time." My head snapped up to look at him and when we met eyes, we both burst into laughter.

It was the first time either of us had laughed like that in a long time. It felt pretty good.

 **Inuyasha:**

Kagome was right. I hated being human-old.

The whole process was long but surprisingly fun.

Kagome got a kick out of how I aged and I was just happy to see a smile on her face. She'd told me that morning that it was time, so we were both pretty weak-hearted.

When I breathed my last, Kagome was still alive.

I waited for her until her heart stopped. When she met up with me, she was restored to the fifteen-year-old girl I'd fallen in love with and I to the form I'd had when we met. Her smile was wide as I reached for her hand.

"Are you ready?" I asked. Kagome nodded. "I'm ready."

With hands tightly clasped and fingers laced together, we moved on.

 **FIN**

And that's a wrap.

Thank you SO MUCH to all you readers and reviewers. You've made my first time posting a fic so incredible and I appreciate and love all of you.

I'll be posting a LOT more fics in the near future. I've already posted 2 chapters of my current one-shot collection, which as some of you have probably seen is called the The Next Generation. That'll be something I come back to every so often to add more to and all that. That one probably won't be a daily upload, but I'll still keep it active!

I won't keep you guys hanging, though ;) I'll be uploading a new fic within the next few days. It's about Inuyasha and Kagome's now 18-year-old daughter Izayoi and the effects that her parents' battles with Naraku have on her. On what felt like an average day, she finds herself thrust into a battle she never expected she'd witness. There's also a romance that was foreshadowed in OOT…let's see if you guys can pick up on it ;)

I don't have a title for it yet, but I'll have the first chapter up soon. I think you guys will like it!

Again, I love you all, my dears. Thanks for reading.

Much, much, much love. :)


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